Damefan PUB LOGIC : You gotta know who to call when you need good info!!! GO IRISH!

You got leaky pipes?...Call a plumber!

You got a history question?...Call a teacher!

Wanna know if your running backs pass the eyeball

test?..Call a SUPER BOWL CHAMPION!

It was a hot day in September 2006...my beloved

IRISH were pre-season top 3 in the country and

here comes Penn State ranked 6th!

That day we had the opportunity to partake in a

bit of spirits and food in the "Hospitality Village",

thanks to an invite we'd received from a friend.

Hospitality Village is a private HUGE tented tailgate

where ex-players...alum and whatever

celebrity types were attending the game that day

go to mingle, and get in a bit of a pre game

good mood!

Franco Harris, Tim Brown, some guy from

CSI Miami I'd never heard of...it was packed!

I was making my way to the bar when I noticed the

gentleman's ring standing next to me...

MARC EDWARDS!...We talked a few minutes

over Jameson's and then I asked if I could show his ring

to some friends...more than willing he took the ring off,

I turned to show my buddies...turned around, and he

was GONE!!!

I was like...

After a few moments of panic we located Marc,

returned the ring, had a laugh and went on to

watch the IRISH boot stomp Penn State!

I remember what he said that day..."If your

in here with us...your not gonna run off with

my ring!.."

So when I wanted to know if my excitement over

our current stable of work horses was warranted...

I called Marc!

I mean..if you get carried off the field while playing

at THE University of Notre Dame...you know a thing

or two about a thing or two when it comes to football!

So what have you been up to?

Marc- Since 2005 I left the Bears and invested in a

group benefits company...but was a bit bored with that so

I decided to work with a friend at Notre Dame

who was starting up a company called

Speed Shield. I still own part of the

benefits company and now I'm doing

consulting with Speed Shield and working for

myself. This allows me to travel with

my daughters who are currently playing

around the country in travel soccer and

allows me to visit clients.

We've had some coaches that have arrived

since your time, that have hit hard and faded

quickly...What do you see in Kelly that

makes you comfortable about the

future of Notre Dame?

Marc-Kelly is consistent. He wins games.

He's right there with the top programs. He hasn't had

that let down season, like the coach's in the past.

Brian is charismatic and represents the program

he shows the leadership qualities to

get out and talk to the people. He understands

that he's on a big stage... Consistency and Charisma!

Brian doesn't abuse his position of power...

What about the "modernization" of the program

what are your thoughts in the HUGE

change Kelly has brought in..

Marc-It breaks my heart but I understand

it. It needed to be done. This isn't the 90s. Now

it's instant gratification and you have to adapt!

I may not like it, not like the turf, but the game

has changed. You either wanna be a competitor

or your a dinosaur. It's something I agree with!

Uniforms, Music in the stadium, turf,

it was time.

What do you see for the future of the sport as a whole?

I mean with that instant gratification athlete

compared to the athletes you were being

recruited with years ago?

Marc- Holtz used to say something all

the time, years ago, and it rings true today:

"Being part of the University of Notre
Dame is not a right of yours...it's a

privilege!"

Kids now a days are being told

since pop warner how great they are, and

there is so much more access. The competitive

nature of recruiting, they have created a

pedestal. The kids feel they are entitled.

Not all kids...but in general.

We need to get back to student/athletes!

Last summer I had a chance to speak to the

team. I told them I've been in your shoes

and I played at the highest level. People

always want to hear from you and talk

with you..Get educated because at some point

your gonna hear the word "NO" and sometimes

the phone calls, after this is all said and done, don't

get returned...Get that education!

You may end up working for that nerd down

the hall someday!

Be nice to him now! LOL

What jumped out to you on our running backs?

TAREAN FOLSTON

Marc- Folston seems like the first "dynamic" running

back I've seen in a while...just more "electric".

Lot's of our backs could run. This kid just does it in

a more dynamic fashion, he's natural.

He can start and stop fast..and he's shifty!

Always seems to be moving forward.

He's got good size, runs strong, and has

great hands which is HUGE in today's game.

GREG BRYANT

Marc- My thought on him is he's got all the talent in the

world, fast and great attitude. Now I'll reserve judgement

to see how that translates to the field!

CAM MCDANIEL

Marc- You know every time I talk to somebody it's

the comparisons to me. I like it, he's a hard nosed

kid who runs with everything he's got. He can

run, he's not gonna break the league record but he's

gonna get ya the hard yards to close the game out!

He kinda brought a tear to my eye last year. I

can't remember the game but they just kept feeding

him 3 yards here, 4 yards there...that's the football

I played! It's encouraging to have this

much talent. It's a good change up of

of the style they play, I want them in the back

field together like the "Thunder & Lighting"

days with Bettis and Brooks.

What do you think the return of Golson

will mean to the run game?

Marc- Add fifty to one hundred yards rushing

in every game. Now you got a middle linebacker

that has to spy to see if he's gonna take off. That

will open the middle of the field to the slot

receivers or the tight ends. Golson's return

is huge. It adds a HUGE dynamic!

With Malik we can do this without worry

the back up is important cause your dealing

with QB 1-A to QB 1-B.

Does his return affect other aspects of the team?

Marc- Oh yeah, the defense! All three areas

of the game are intertwined, you could have the best

D in the league but if your offense is terrible you'll

lose games. I think in 2013 the defense was out there

too much due to 3 and outs and drives being stopped!

A good offense will make a defense more effective!

Offense is different than defense. If one guy doesn't

do his job it's a sack. On defense if one guy makes

an outstanding play...the other 10 just have to do

their job! The defense will be more effective

this year with Golson's return.

Don't hand that ring to anyone!

Marc-I'm still pretty big and fast...They won't make

it very far!

Now on to some rumblings I'm hearing from camp!

There is excitement flowing through everyone in
camp. They realize that this new defensive scheme
will give them the ability to be very hard to
game plan against especially in early season.

You won't be seeing the same defensive lineup two
plays in a row. There will be a constant rotation
of talent coming into the game to play very
"situational" football!

Golson is cementing his starting position
everyday in practice!

I think we have a talent rich QB position right now.

Golson is showing why he should be the starter and
Malik is showing why you don't need to worry
about Golson getting hurt!

The D line is making noise!

We all entered the season worried about the loss of
talent to the NFL...well from what I'm hearing we
may not skip a beat!

Trumbetti is OWNING things in camp!
Turning heads and showing why he should be
on the field snap one vs RICE.
Romeo has work to hold his spot...
And that's a good problem!

Sheldon Day is an All American waiting to happen!

And, Ishaq is very happy to have his hand back on the
ground, where he's always been the most comfortable!

THE FRESHMEN ARE HUGE!

Cage will play...he's as big as a Buick and handles
like a Mustang!

We only need 10 to 15 plays a game from him!
He's a huge part of the ND future at D-Line!

The light has turned on for Max Redfield!
He's the commander of the secondary and is
running the show like we all figured he would!

The fun battle of camp?
Turner vs Onwualu!

Onwualu is showing the coaches that he doesn't
want to watch..he want's to play!

Riggs is as advertised and is trying to be the
Robin to Russell's Bat-Man for the dynamic
duo of shutdown corners for ND!

But make no mistake...Butler/Luke/Watkins
are all ready in case of needing the NMI!

Chris Brown has been turning heads and is
by far the most dynamic receiver in camp!

He's poised to have a HUGE year and the
pace of the offense will make this years
receivers, by years end...one of the country's
top units!

Daniels
Fuller
Carlisle
Proisie
Robinson
Brown
Hunter

Good Lord!

Tempo/Speed/Size/Scheme

This is gonna be a huge year for the Notre Dame program!

We have the coaches, we've recruited the talent,
we have the schedule to prove our point!

Now let's get to work salute Coach Kelly for
getting us here!