Dec. 9, 2016
NOTRE DAME, Ind. ââ’¬” Quarterback DeShone Kizer, linebacker Greer Martini, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, linebacker Nyles Morgan, offensive guard Quenton Nelson, safety Drue Tranquill and wide receiver Austin Webster have been named captains for the 2017 University of Notre Dame football team.
McGlinchey is the 22nd different two-time captain in Irish history after previously serving in the role in 2016, while Webster represents the first active Notre Dame walk-on to receive the honor.
Kizer, 2016 Notre Dame Monogram Club Most Valuable Player, completed 212 of 361 passes for 2,925 yards and 26 touchdowns. He rushed for 472 yards and eight touchdowns. Kizer became the first Irish QB in school history to post back-to-back seasons of at least 20 TD passes and eight rushing TDs.
Kizer ranked in the top 25 nationally in five different categories including TD passes (18th, 26), passing yards per completion (24, 13.80), points responsible for (17th, 204), points responsible for per game (18th, 17.0) and total offense (26th, 283.1 per game).
Martini played in all 12 games in 2016, recording four starts. He totaled 55 tackles, with 29 of those of the solo variety, as well as 7.0 tackles for loss, three sacks and a pass break-up. Martini’s 55 tackles were the most by a Irish player with four or fewer starts since Brandon Hoyte had 57 in 2002. He continued to be the team’s most valuable resource against opponents running an option attack, recording 11 tackles (one for loss) against Navy and another nine tackles (two for loss) against Army West Point.
Morgan started all 12 games at linebacker this season, and led the team with 94 tackles and four sacks. He registered at least 10 tackles in five different games. Morgan also recorded a career-high 13 tackles, including nine solo stops, in the season opener vs. Texas.
Nelson started all 12 games at left guard in 2016. Pro Football Focus ranked him eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision among offensive guards with a grade of 20.5. Nelson did not allow a sack and allowed just one QB hit in 2016 (on 456 pass attempts).
Tranquill, a 2016 Academic All-American, started all 12 games at safety. He led the team with 52 solo tackles and ranked second with 79 total tackles. A mechanical engineering major, Tranquill has a 3.74 grade-point average and has been named to the University’s Dean’s List two of his four semesters at Notre Dame. He’s the 60th Notre Dame player to earn Academic All-America honors.
The seven-player captain contingent is the largest season-long collection of captains for the Irish in school history. Notre Dame had five season-long captains in 2015, 2007 and 1995.
More than two hundred student-athletes, including this year’s contingent, have served as permanent Irish football captains during the program’s storied 128-year history.
2017: DeShone Kizer, Greer Martini, Mike McGlinchey, Nyles Morgan, Quenton Nelson, Drue Tranquill, Austin Webster
2016: Torii Hunter Jr., Mike McGlinchey, James Onwualu, Isaac Rochell
2015: Sheldon Day, Matthias Farley, Nick Martin, Joe Schmidt, Jaylon Smith
2014: Austin Collinsworth, Sheldon Day, Nick Martin, Cam McDaniel
2013: Zack Martin, TJ Jones, Bennett Jackson
2012: Manti Te’o, Kapron Lewis-Moore,Zack Martin, Tyler Eifert
2011: Harrison Smith
2010: Game-by-Game
2009: Jimmy Clausen, Kyle McCarthy, Eric Olsen, Scott Smith
2008: David Bruton, Maurice Crum Jr., David Grimes
2007: Tom Zbikowski, Travis Thomas, John Carlson, John Sullivan, Maurice Crum Jr.
2006: Brady Quinn, Tom Zbikowski, Travis Thomas
2005: Brady Quinn, Brandon Hoyte
2004: Mike Goolsby, Ryan Grant, Carlyle Holiday, Justin Tuck
2003: Darrell Campbell, Vontez Duff, Omar Jenkins, Jim Molinaro
2002: Arnaz Battle, Sean Mahan, Gerome Sapp, Shane Walton
2001: Rocky Boiman, David Givens, Grant Irons, Anthony Weaver
2000: Anthony Denman, Jabari Holloway, Grant Irons, Dan O’Leary
1999: Jarious Jackson
1998: Bobbie Howard, Kory Minor, Mike Rosenthal
1997: Melvin Dansby, Ron Powlus, Allen Rossum
1996: Lyron Cobbins, Marc Edwards, Ron Powlus
1995: Paul Grasmanis, Ryan Leahy, Derrick Mayes, Shawn Wooden, Dusty Zeigler
1994: Lee Becton, Justin Goheen, Brian Hamilton, Ryan Leahy
1993: Jeff Burris, Tim Ruddy, Aaron Taylor, Bryant Young
1992: Demetrius DuBose, Rick Mirer
1991: Rodney Culver
1990: Mike Heldt, Todd Lyght, Ricky Watters, Chris Zorich
1989: Ned Bolcar, Anthony Johnson,Tony Rice
1988: Ned Bolcar, Mark Green,Andy Heck
1987: Chuck Lanza, Byron Spruell
1986: Mike Kovaleski
1985: Tony Furjanic, Mike Larkin, Allen Pinkett, Tim Scannell
1984: Mike Golic, Joe Johnson, Larry Williams
1983: Blair Kiel, Stacey Toran
1982: Phil Carter, Dave Duerson, Mark Zavagnin
1981: Bob Crable, Phil Carter
1980: Bob Crable, Tom Gibbons, John Scully
1979: Vagas Ferguson, Tim Foley, Dave Waymer
1978: Bob Golic, Jerome Heavens, Joe Montana
1977: Ross Browner, Terry Eurick, Willie Fry, Steve Orsini
1976: Mark McLane, Willie Fry
1975: Ed Bauer, Jim Stock
1974: Tom Clements, Greg Collins
1973: Dave Casper, Frank Pomerico, Mike Townsend
1972: John Dampeer, Greg Marx
1971: Walt Patulski, Tom Gatewood
1970: Larry DiNardo, Tim Kelly
1969: Bob Olson, Mike Oriard
1968: George Kunz, Bob Olson
1967: Bob (Rocky) Bleier
1966: Jim Lynch
1965: Phil Sheridan
1964: Jim Carroll
1963: Bob Lehmann
1962: Mike Lind
1961: Norb Roy, Nick Buoniconti
1960: Myron Pottios
1959: Ken Adamson
1958: Al Ecuyer, Chuck Puntillo
1957: Dick Prendergast, Ed Sullivan
1956: Jim Morse
1955: Ray Lemek
1954: Paul Matz, Dan Shannon
1953: Don Penza
1952: Jack Alessandrini
1951: Jim Mutscheller
1950: Jerry Groom
1949: Leon Hart, Jim Martin
1948: Bill Fischer
1947: George Connor
1945: Frank Dancewicz
1944: Pat Filley
1943: Pat Filley
1942: George Murphy
1941: Paul Lillis
1940: Milt Piepul
1939: Johnny Kelly
1938: Jim McGoldrick
1937: Joe Zwers
1936: Bill Smith, John Lautar
1935: Joe Sullivan
1934: Dom Vairo
1933: Hugh Devore, Tom Gorman
1932: Paul Host
1931: Tommy Yarr
1930: Tom Conley
1929: John Law
1928: Fred Miller
1927: John Smith
1926: Gene Edwards, Tom Hearden
1925: Clem Crowe
1924: Adam Walsh
1923: Harvey Brown
1922: Glen Carberry
1921: Eddie Anderson
1920: Frank Coughlin
1919: Leonard Bahan
1918: Leonard Bahan
1917: Jim Phelan
1916: Stan Cofall
1915: Freeman Fitzgerald
1914: Keith Jones
1913: Knute Rockne
1912: Charles (Gus) Dorais
1911: Luke Kelly
1910: Ralph Dimmick
1909: Howard Edwards
1908: Harry Miller
1907: Dom Callicrate
1906: Bob Bracken
1905: Pat Beacom
1904: Frank Shaughnessy
1903: Louis (Red) Salmon
1902: Louis (Red) Salmon
1901: Al Fortin
1900: John Farley
1899: Jack Mullen
1898: Jack Mullen
1897: Jack Mullen
1896: Frank E. Hering
1895: Dan Casey
1894: Frank Keough
1893: Frank Keough
1892: Pat Coady
1889: Edward Prudhomme
1888: Edward Prudhomme
1887: Henry Luhn
Three-time captain: Jack Mullen (1897-99)
Two-time captains: Leonard Bahan (1918-19); Ned Bolcar (1988-89); Phil Carter (1981-82); Bob Crable (1980-81); Maurice Crum Jr. (2007-08); Sheldon Day (2014-15); Pat Filley (1943-44); Willie Fry (1976-77); Grant Irons (2000-01); Frank Keough (1893-94); Ryan Leahy (1994-95); Nick Martin (2014-15); Zack Martin (2012-13); Mike McGlinchey (2016-17); Bob Olson (1968-69); Ron Powlus (1996-97); Edward Prudhomme (1888-89); Brady Quinn (2005-06); Louis “Red” Salmon (1902-03); Travis Thomas (2006-07); Tom Zbikowski (2006-07)