April 20, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Fifth-year senior linebacker Maurice Crum Jr., senior wide receiver David Grimes and senior safety David Bruton were all named team captains Saturday prior to the start of the 79th Blue-Gold Game.
In voting conducted Friday afternoon, Crum was selected captain of the defense, Grimes captain of the offense and Bruton captain of the special teams.
Crum, who was one of five captains in 2007, becomes the 17th player in the football team’s history to be named a two-time captain. It marks the third-straight season that the Irish will have at least one captain serving for a second-consecutive year (Brady Quinn, ’05-’06; Travis Thomas and Tom Zbikowski, ’06-’07).
A three-time monogram winner, Crum has started all 37 games he’s played at Notre Dame. He enters 2008 with 241 career tackles, needing 54 stops to enter Notre Dame’s top-ten list for career tackles and he is on pace to become the ninth player in Irish history to accumulate 300 career tackles.
Grimes has started 15 of the last 22 games he’s appeared in and is one of six fourth or fifth-year seniors on the ’08 roster. His 55 all-time receptions for 579 yards makes him Notre Dame’s active career leader in catches and receiving yards.
Bruton is the top returning tackler on the ’08 roster after ranking third on the team and pacing the secondary in 2007 with 85 tackles. He has played a key role on special teams over the last three years and has logged 444 special teams appearances in his Irish career.
Notre Dame football’s two-time captains:
2007-08 Maurice Crum Jr.
2006-07 Travis Thomas, Tom Zbikowski
2005-06 Brady Quinn
2000-01 Grant Irons
1996-97 Ron Powlus
1994-95 Ryan Leahy
1988-89 Ned Bolcar
1981-82 Phil Carter
1980-81 Bob Crable
1976-77 Willie Fry
1943-44 Pat Filley
1918-19 Leonard Bahan
1902-03 Louis (Red) Salmon
1897-99 Jack Mullen (three-time captain)
1893-94 Frank Keough
1888-89 Edward Prudhomme