Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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tack in 2010 (603 yards) and 2011 (1,102), and was second to classmate Theo Riddick this season with 742 yards and 6.5 yards per carry. "Having to make a decision like whether to stay in school or leave to pursue a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL is never simple," Wood said in a statement released by Notre Dame. "I had to weigh many factors … but ultimately it came down to what I felt was the right decision that would most benefit my family." This included providing for his 1-year-old daughter, Braelyn, who currently lives in Las Vegas with her mother. Wood sat out the first two games of 2012 after violating team rules and later shared time with the much-improved Riddick (917 yards), who shifted from wide receiver to the hybrid running back/slot position, but he denied having a contentious relationship with Kelly after his suspension. "It took me a while to get used to him — same thing with him getting used to us, and me in particular. When I was Junior-to-be George Atkinson III enters 2013 with the most experience by far after Notre Dame lost Riddick to graduation and Wood, who entered the 2013 NFL Draft. photo by bill panzica in trouble and all that stuff, he had my back the whole time," Wood told Blue & Gold Illustrated in Miami. "He was in my head making sure I was stable and making sure my mind wasn't wandering. I would say my relationship with him is very, very good." Without Riddick and Wood, the 2013 Notre Dame backfield under the direction of running backs/ slot coach Tony Alford will feature four candidates this spring and two more enrolling in the summer. By George The pace setter is current sophomore George Atkinson III, whose 51 carries in 2012 produced 361 yards (7.1 per attempt) and five touchdowns. One of the fastest players in college football — his 10.36 in the 100 meters is second best at Notre Dame to Raghib "Rocket" Ismail's 10.34 in 1991 — Atkinson received some All-America notice for his 89- and 96-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns as a 2011 freshman versus