April 22, 2006
Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis
On the company at today’s Blue-Gold Game…
“I thought the crowd was infectious, and it was a beautiful day out there. Over 40,000 people showed up to watch the game. I think it was a great type of showcase for the program with prospects all over the place, a bunch of the guys we have coming in next year here, and all the guys that are getting ready for the draft here. I think it was a pretty enjoyable day.”
On the defense through out the spring and in today’s game…
“I think it is pretty obvious that one thing we have been trying to do this spring is keep it simple to make sure that we can evaluate their athletic ability based off of them not having to think about what they have to do. We are starting to create some depth that we didn’t have at this time last year.”
On his impressions of Jeff Samardzija today…
“He is a front line receiver. We have a couple of them and that is refreshing. You can match him and Rhema McKnight up with anybody.”
On Travis Thomas’ performance…
“He is very unique. There are very few offensive players with a defensive mentality. He plays the game like he is a linebacker. He may not read the front the way Darius does but you better get out of the way. He is a nice change of pace guy. You have one guy that is going to try and make you miss and Travis is going to look for you and try to run you over.”
Honorary Coach Bob Golic
On the changing atmosphere surrounding the Notre Dame program…
“There is a different look in the eyes of the players and the fans. They see something. The new leadership has come in and taken the first steps. There is new excitement and a feeling of optimism. Notre Dame is back to where it was in the past.”
Honorary Coach Mike Golic
On recent improvements in recruiting…
“I felt for awhile that Notre Dame was letting its name speak for itself. Charlie has put some aggressiveness back into the recruiting process and understands the type of players we want to recruit.”
Honorary Coach Jerome Bettis
On the status of the program…
“Obviously the talent level is going up and will continue to with each recruiting season. I think that is where the program is heading. They have a coach who understands the nuances of the game but also how to relate to the recruits. I am proud of the direction in which the program is heading.”