Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/109499
to be said had been said already. "He was talking about the team and those things," he said of Martin's message, "but by that point I was completely sold. "I told him my intentions, and he got really excited and brought me around to the rest of the coaches to tell them. The last stop was [Irish head] Coach [Brian] Kelly to officially commit, and that was the last memory of my visit." While he traveled to South Bend without expecting to become part of the class, it all began to make sense. He discussed the experience with his father, Roy, mother, Terri, and step mom, Allison, who were all with him on the trip. "It slowly built up during the visit," he said. "Building those connections was key. The overall atmosphere was really special. The combination of all those things added up for me. "They noticed as the weekend went on that it was the best fit for me. They said they could really see me here, and it really pushed it over the edge." Smythe was hosted by fellow tight end Alex Welch and got to spend time around a number of the Irish players. "Everyone had the same message," Smythe shared. "They were all saying that it was a great time to come in because everyone is hungry. They all have that bad taste in their mouth [from losing in the BCS National Championship Game to Alabama]. They're all sold on getting back there and not leaving with the same feeling." The Texas native was a strong addition to the class late in the game according to 247Sports national writer Steve Wiltfong. "Kudos to Kerry Cooks on landing one of the top players in Texas," he said. "Notre Dame beat out a lot of top programs for him. Notre Dame is doing better in the Lone Star State, and Kerry Cooks is a big reason for it. In order for Notre Dame to compete for a national championship every year, they're going to have to have a presence in Texas, and getting players like [wide receiver] Torii Hunter Jr. and Durham Smythe are the types of ones to target. "He's got the perfect skill set to be very productive in Notre Dame's offense." Smythe played basketball through his junior year, but opted to stop this season while recovering from a sprained ankle he suffered during the football season. He does, however, plan on running track. He may have changed his mind once, but he knew when he hopped on board with the Irish he was at peace with his choice. "I may have only been down to three schools, but it was tough telling them no," he admitted. "Stanford accepted it pretty well. I developed a good relationship with them, and they had good things to say about Notre Dame. Michigan was a hard call to make because I was going to visit Feb. 1, but told them I'm 100 percent on my decision and they backed off as well. "I'm all Irish, and I'm excited about getting out there. Who doesn't want to be in an environment where everyone wants to win championships?" ✦