June 28, 2006
Sixty-six days and counting down until kickoff against Georgia Tech on Sept. 2 (see the countdown ticker on the right side of the front page from und.com for the exact hour and minutes until kickoff). Forty days and counting down until Football Media Day on Sunday, Aug. 6. The und.com Summer Football Fix continues…
Note: This two article was originally published in the 2005 Notre Dame – Tennessee GameDay Magazine
#99 Ronald Talley
Sophomore, 6-4, 261
Defensive End
Oak Park, Mich./Renaissance
Ronald Talley made his first career start for the Irish football team against BYU during the 2005 season. He ended up seeing action in 11 games, making five starts and piling up 23 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and and one quarterback sack. Talley ended up logging 162:43 minutes of playing time last season.
Just when Talley was breaking into Notre Dame’s defensive end rotation, Elizabeth Goers from Notre Dame’s GameDay Magazine sat down for a question-and-answer session.
Goers: What is your major and how did you get interested in that area of study?
Talley: My major is Film, Television and Theater. What I want to do is direct movies and music videos, because I like entertainment, music and everything. It’s a big part of what is going on in culture today so I want to be a part of that.
Goers: What is your favorite class and why?
Talley: I didn’t expect criminology to be my favorite class, but it is because it deals with the social systems and I like hands on stuff dealing with people.
Goers: What made you pick Notre Dame over the other schools you were interested in? What were the other schools?
Talley: Some of the other schools that I was interested in were Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa, a lot of Big Ten schools and Louisville. I picked Notre Dame because it had the best package in terms of academics and football. Plus, we get a lot of exposure and have the chance to win a national championship, which I think we will.
Goers: To date, what has been the highlight of your Notre Dame career?
Talley: I would have to say my sack in the BYU game this year.
Goers: Who were your sports idols as a kid and why?
Talley: As a kid, it was Deacon Jones. He played defensive end and he came up with the term quarterback sack. I used to watch the tape `100 Toughest NFL Players’ and he always stood out to me.
Goers: As a football player, is there any one player you modeled your game after?
Talley: When I was in high school, I used to play basketball and football and they used to call me `Pep’. That was short for Julius Peppers who played basketball and football for North Carolina. I kind of wanted to model myself after him in 9th and 10th grade.
Goers: Who has been your biggest non-sports role model and why?
Talley: That would be my mother, because she has worked hard and been through a lot of things. She has actually made a movement, a real impact on life by herself.
Goers: What is one thing in your life that you cannot live without?
Talley: I can’t live without my mother.
Goers: Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Talley: I listen to my favorite group, the Detroit group, Street Born Shuttle Boys. I listen to them to keep me motivated, keep my heart pumping and adrenaline rushing.
Goers: How do you think you’ve grown as a person since coming to Notre Dame?
Talley: I think I have grown to realize how tough life is. It’s always been tough, but now as a man I am witnessing it as an individual.
Goers: What is one thing about you that might surprise people?
Talley: People think I am mean, because of my facial structure. When I am serious, when I am not smiling, people think I am mean. Actually, I am not a mean guy.
Goers: If you were stranded on an island and could only eat one meal, only listen to one song, and spend your time with only one person; what would you eat, what would you listen to and who would you pick?
Talley: The one person would be my mother; the meal would be black-eyed peas, cornbread and candy yams and the song I would listen to is by the Shuttle Boys, it is called `Thugproof’– it talks about all the people who stuck with them and loved them unconditionally.
Goers: What is you favorite movie and why?
Talley: My favorite movie is probably `Scarface’. He came from nowhere and made something of himself no matter what he had to do.
Goers: Where is the toughest place that you’ve played as a college football player?
Talley: It definitely would be Michigan. Their fans are crazy and it was really loud playing there.
Goers: What CD do you have in your collection that would surprise people?
Talley: Probably Bobby Valentino.
Goers: What would a movie about your life be titled and who would star as you?
Talley: The title would be `The Rose that Grew from Concrete,’ and the actor would probably be Denzel Washington.”
Goers: If you had the chance to play golf with anyone in history, besides you, who else would be in your foursome and why would you pick those three people?
Talley: Bill Gates, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z, because they have led lives that have impacted people socially and in other ways. I want to see how I can step up and make an impact like them.
Goers: When your football career is over, what do you see yourself doing?
Talley: I want to own a recreational center or sports center, something for my neighborhood to give back. I also want to own different small businesses, definitely real estate and own properties.
Goers: Describe what it feels like on game day and playing Notre Dame stadium?
Talley: It feels good; everyone is screaming your name, and to win and with them cheering for you – I really appreciate the fans’ support.
Goers: What is your favorite thing about playing for Notre Dame?
Talley: I like the way everybody tries to come out and always marks playing us as a big game. We get the best from our opponents. I don’t want to play them when they are down, but play them when they have all their best players and are bringing their best effort.