Feb. 24, 2006
Fasano, Stevenson and Stovall Invited To NFL Combine Trio of former Notre Dame football players invited to participate in NFL Combine Feb. 25-28.
Notre Dame, Ind. – Three former Irish football players will participate in the 2006 National Football League Combine scheduled for February 25-28, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Receiving invitations were tight end Anthony Fasano, offensive guard Dan Stevenson and wide receiver Maurice Stovall.
Fasano, from Verona, NJ, was one of college football’s most productive tight ends over the 2004 and 2005 seasons as he made 74 catches for 973 yards in that span. Fasano bypassed the opportunity to return for a fifth season at Notre Dame to enter the 2006 NFL Draft and has been touted by head coach Charlie Weis as a tight end who “can do it all”. A vital component of the Notre Dame offense the last two seasons, Fasano was one of four recipients of the 2005 Nick Pietrosante Award, presented annually to the Notre Dame player who best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and pride shown by the late Irish All-America fullback. In 2005, Fasano made 47 catches for 576 yards and two touchdowns, the second-highest single-season receptions total by a tight end in Notre Dame history. A three-time monogram winner at Notre Dame, Fasano ended the 2005 season ranked second in Notre Dame history for career catches by a tight end with 92 and his 1,112 career receiving yards also ranks second in Irish history for a tight end. Fasano started 24 games for the Irish in his career. A senior enrolled in Mendoza College of Business, he is on track to graduate in May with a degree in Marketing.
Stevenson, of Barrington, IL, started 35 games for the Irish over the last four seasons, including 34 consecutive to end his career. He earned four monograms in his Notre Dame career, started at guard the last three seasons, but also played at tackle early in his Irish career. Stevenson was the winner of the 2005 Guardian Insurance Guardian of the Year Award, presented annually to Notre Dame’s top offensive lineman by the Guardian Insurance Company. He started all 12 games at right guard in 2005 and was a major player in an explosive offense that averaged 36.7 points and 477.3 yards per game (330.2 passing, 147.1 rushing), helping lead the way as halfback Darius Walker eclipsed 100 rushing yards in seven games on the way to rushing for more than 1,000 yards on the season. Stevenson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the Mendoza College of Business in May, 2005 and is currently enrolled in Graduate Studies.
Stovall, of Philadelphia, PA, finished his career ranked among the most prolific receivers in Notre Dame history. In 2005, Stovall showed remarkable maturity and improvement during his senior season, posting one of the top single-season receiving performances in Irish history as he finished his career third in Notre Dame history for touchdown receptions in a career with 18 and fourth in receiving yards with 2,195. Also, Stovall ended his career ranked fourth in Irish history for receptions in a career with 130. Stovall, who made 23 career starts, started all 12 games in 2005 and had more than 100 yards receiving in six games. He made 69 catches for 1,149 yards (16.7-yard average) and 11 touchdowns in 2005. The 11 scoring catches ranks tied for second on the Irish single-season touchdown catches list while the 1,249 yards is the second-most in Irish history. He set a Notre Dame bowl record for receiving yards with 126 yards on nine catches (second in ND bowl history) against Ohio State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Stovall had a record-breaking day against BYU with a school-record 14 catches for 207 yards (fifth in Irish history) and a school-record four touchdowns. Stovall is currently enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters, majoring in Sociology and Computer Applications.