Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFB | Playing at Notre Dame 'dream' for Syracuse
By Jared Diamond
Posted: 11/20/08, 9:31 PM EST Section: Sports
Robinson has not announced if Cameron Dantley will start Saturday. Either way, just being on Notre Dame's campus has special significance to the entire Dantley family.
"He still talks about Notre Dame to this day," Dantley said of his father. "He still watches Notre Dame. He still loves the place, and it was a big part of his life."
Several of Syracuse's seniors remember playing in South Bend in 2005. Giruzzi, safeties A.J. Brown, Paul Chiara and Bruce Williams, tailback Curtis Brinkley, tight end Ben Maljovec, fullback Tony Fiammetta and linebacker Jake Flaherty all saw limited action against the Fighting Irish in that game. For Flaherty, it was the first time he took reps at linebacker in his collegiate career.
But even for that list of veterans, the second go-around is considerably more important. Many in the group will start Saturday. All eight will likely play. Right now, their only memory of Notre Dame is a 34-10 loss.
"Playing at Notre Dame, we're going to remember this game for the rest of our lives," Giruzzi said. "So it's good to go out there and play as hard as you can because you don't want to have any regrets after the season, like 'Oh, I wish I did this against Notre Dame.'"
Age aside, playing against the Fighting Irish will remain a memorable experience for all the Orange's players. Jackson said it is important the entire team realizes the history and significance of Notre Dame's program and will not be surprised if players are awed by the sheer magnitude of the environment when they first take the field.
Quite frankly, it would be hard to blame them.
"It's always been a dream of mine to play somewhere like Notre Dame," SU center Jim McKenzie said. "… Just to play on the field.
I think a lot of college football players have watched 'Rudy' and just want to have that same sort of feel, to run out on the field."
jediamon@syr.edu
"He still talks about Notre Dame to this day," Dantley said of his father. "He still watches Notre Dame. He still loves the place, and it was a big part of his life."
Several of Syracuse's seniors remember playing in South Bend in 2005. Giruzzi, safeties A.J. Brown, Paul Chiara and Bruce Williams, tailback Curtis Brinkley, tight end Ben Maljovec, fullback Tony Fiammetta and linebacker Jake Flaherty all saw limited action against the Fighting Irish in that game. For Flaherty, it was the first time he took reps at linebacker in his collegiate career.
But even for that list of veterans, the second go-around is considerably more important. Many in the group will start Saturday. All eight will likely play. Right now, their only memory of Notre Dame is a 34-10 loss.
"Playing at Notre Dame, we're going to remember this game for the rest of our lives," Giruzzi said. "So it's good to go out there and play as hard as you can because you don't want to have any regrets after the season, like 'Oh, I wish I did this against Notre Dame.'"
Age aside, playing against the Fighting Irish will remain a memorable experience for all the Orange's players. Jackson said it is important the entire team realizes the history and significance of Notre Dame's program and will not be surprised if players are awed by the sheer magnitude of the environment when they first take the field.
Quite frankly, it would be hard to blame them.
"It's always been a dream of mine to play somewhere like Notre Dame," SU center Jim McKenzie said. "… Just to play on the field.
I think a lot of college football players have watched 'Rudy' and just want to have that same sort of feel, to run out on the field."
jediamon@syr.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
g33k101
posted 11/21/08 @ 4:13 PM EST
is it me or was this article poorly written???
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