Dec. 9, 2005
University of Notre Dame junior wide receiver Jeff Samardzija has earned All-America accolades from both ESPN.com and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The Valparaiso, Ind., native was a first-team selection to the ESPN.com team and a second-team pick for the Walter Camp Foundation All-America team.
Samardzija led the Irish in receiving yards and touchdown receptions this season, posting a school-record 1,190 yards and 15 touchdowns. He caught at least one touchdown pass in the first eight games of the season and his career-best 191-yard receiving effort at Stanford played a key role in Notre Dame’s 38-31 victory.
He matched USC’s Dwayne Jarrett for the national lead in touchdown receptions with 15 and its six off the Notre Dame single-season record for receptions with 71 (record is 77 s
Samardzija adds these two All-America honors to his first-team selection by the Football Writers Association of America.
Here is Samardzija’s updated bio for the 2005 season:
2005 (JUNIOR): A first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and ESPN.com … second-team selection for the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team … one of three finalists for the 2005 Biletnikoff Award, given annually to college football’s top receiver by the Tallahassee (Fla.) Quarterback Club … set a new Notre Dame single-season record for yards receiving (1,190) and touchdown catches (15) … the first Notre Dame receiver since 1970 (Tom Gatewood) and the third Irish pass catcher ever to gain 1,000 yards receiving in a single season (one of four in ND history) … has caught 71 passes for 1,190 yards (16.8-yard average) and 15 touchdowns … ranks among all-time Irish leaders in season totals for catches (second with 71), receiving yards (third with 1,190) and receiving touchdowns (first with 15) … also ranks among Notre Dame career leaders in receiving yards (10th with 1,517), receiving touchdowns (tied for fifth with 15) and catches (11th with 95) … has surpassed 100 receiving yards in five games this season … a first-team Midseason All-America selection by Sports Illustrated magazine … has started all 11 games at receiver … also serves on the hands team for onside kickoffs, is the holder on point-after and field goal attempts, and has played as a deep safety on defense in two games (Washington and USC) … caught touchdown passes in eight consecutive games to start the season, the first Notre Dame player to do so to start a season, or in any eight-game stretch … has caught at least one touchdown pass in 10 of 11 games this season … caught three passes for 34 yards against Pittsburgh, including a 19-yard touchdown reception on a highlight-reel diving catch … his touchdown versus the Panthers was the first of his career … grabbed four passes for 52 yards at Michigan, including a five-yard scoring catch … snared a key 26-yard reception on a third quarter 3rd-and-17 versus the Wolverines … caught six passes for 96 yards and three touchdowns against Michigan State … his touchdowns versus MSU went for 31, 18 and four yards, respectively … tied a school record for single-game touchdown catches versus MSU (also held by six others) … caught eight passes for 164 yards (20.5-yard average) and a touchdown against Washington … had a 52-yard touchdown catch and another grab for 43 yards against the Huskies … also batted away a pass as a deep safety on the final play of the first half against Washington … caught seven passes for 153 yards (21.9-yard average) and two touchdowns in the win at Purdue … made a spectacular one-handed leaping grab for a 41-yard gain to set up a score against the Boilermakers … had scoring receptions of four and 55 yards versus Purdue … wiggled loose of five tacklers after the catch on the 55-yard touchdown reception against the Boilermakers … caught six passes for 99 yards (16.5-yard average) and one touchdown against USC … had a 32-yard scoring catch versus the Trojans on a third-down play to tie the game at 14-14 in the second period … had a single-game high 10 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-23 win over BYU … combined with Maurice Stovall to comprise the first Notre Dame duo ever to have 10 or more catches in the same game as Stovall had 14 catches versus the Cougars … grabbed seven passes for 127 yards (18.1-yard average) and a touchdown against Tennessee, including a career-long 73-yard catch … the 73-yard grab on a short pattern keyed the go-ahead touchdown march for the Irish to break a 21-21 tie as he scored the subsequent score … caught five passes for 42 yards in the win over Navy … made seven catches for 80 yards and one touchdown in the win over Syracuse … made a 29-yard scoring grab to give Notre Dame a 14-3 over the Orange late in the second period … caught eight passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns in Notre Dame’s 38-31 win over Stanford … started the scoring versus Stanford by taking a short pass 80 yards for a touchdown on the game’s second play from scrimmage, the longest catch of his Irish career … also had a seven-yard scoring grab later in the opening period to give ND a 14-7 lead over the Cardinal … has logged 304:17 of playing time with 79 special teams appearances.