Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/109499
a dime a dozen, receivers are kind of a dime a dozen, but a true, good cornerback is very hard to find," Belles said of why Luke was used on defense instead of offense. "I think he real- Arizona Stating Its Case The Notre Dame record books show cornerback Cole Luke is the ninth scholarship football player to sign with Notre Dame since 1940 (Arizona became the 48th state in the Union in 1912). However, for the second straight year the Notre Dame coaching staff pulled a recruiting coup from the Valley of the Sun, signing two-time Arizona Gatorade Player of the year Davonte' Neal in 2012 as a slot/return man, and reeling in Luke, considered one of the top two prospects in the state with safety Priest Willis (UCLA) this year. Others from Arizona who saw action at Notre Dame as scholarship players include lineman John Likovich, fullback Dave Mitchell and receiver Speedy Hart in the 1970s, quarterback Kevin Smith, lineman Tom Roggeman and quarterback/running back/flanker Steve Belles (Luke's coach) in the 1980s, and kicker Jim Sanson from 1996-99. — Lou Somogyi ized that opportunity would be there for him playing more corner than receiver or running back. "He's also had a little vision too in saying, 'What can I do in football for a long time?' If he can prove his abilities at Notre Dame, the sky is the limit." The best corner Belles saw during his Notre Dame career was twotime consensus AllAmerican and firstround NFL pick Todd Lyght (1987-90), and he didn't hesitate to compare Luke's hips and feet to Lyght's.