Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Nix's work in the classroom this semester helped him win a bet with head coach Brian Kelly and earned him one play at quarterback during the team's spring game in April. He scored on a two-point conversion. photo by bill panzica up to this point. I just want to keep working hard." It didn't take long upon Nix's arrival to recognize he might be a Florida fish out of his warm waters. Daily calls to his mother about returning home were met with her warnings that quitting would not be an option. "It was a culture shock to me," Nix said. "I wasn't used to different varieties of people at one school. As I got in, I was nervous and thought I wouldn't fit in. I wanted to go home, be around my mom and my family, go back to a Florida school. "But people started to protect me, kept pushing me and telling me, 'This is a good decision for you,' I instilled in my heart that this is the best decision for me. I just kept going. When you put me in a place now, any place, I think I can thrive." Although Nix did submit his name into the 2013 NFL Draft for evaluation, the temptation to take the money and run was marginal. It evaporated when, this time, his mother would call him daily with a reminder: "I can't wait to walk on the field for you for Senior Day [Nov. 23, 2013, versus Brigham Young]." She was unable to do the same for Nix's Senior Day in high school because of her work schedule. When she heard her son walked on to the field alone, she was crushed. "It played a great role in my decision to come back," Nix said. "She cried when she wasn't able to do it in high school, but it was the best decision to make because she had to provide for me and my brothers. I'm on a bigger stage now, and I think she'll really appreciate it." A month later, Nix will be on his biggest stage of all because he is on pace to receive his undergraduate degree in film, television and theatre, where his goal is to eventually get into broadcasting. Like Te'o a year earlier, Nix is easily reconciled with the fact that if he were to suffer a major injury his senior year, he could still live with his decision of not going for the financial windfall. "I don't believe in that," Nix said of the risk of injury. "If it happens, it happens. You can't predict the future. I just said, 'I'm too close. I'm right here to getting my degree. I went to school for these years, fought my butt off to get decent grades and get over a 2.5 gradepoint average [a B-minus average]. "Why give up now at this point?' I could still play this game in college at a school that I love, and why not get my degree? That's been the main concept in my head." Moving Forward It's hard to believe now, but a year ago at this time Nix's classmate, Kona Schwenke, was listed ahead of him, or at least as the "costarter" at nose guard. Nix got the message. "Sometimes talent is just not enough," he said. "At that point, he was working harder than me. I understood. There was no dropoff when he went into the game or when he went into practices. I had no hard feelings about it." Nevertheless, it did get his attention. "Nobody wants to get a spot taken," said Nix, who led the line in tackles a year earlier. "I felt embarrassed … [Schwenke] was a good player, I'm not embarrassed by that. Just embarrassed that I let myself down, I wasn't working like I should have … I just started working harder." According to Elston, Nix's impact went beyond just what he did on Saturdays, but also his daily habits from Sunday through Friday. "Everybody's looking at the big picture idea, but, Louis came to work every day with a small picture mindset, and that's why he's the kind of player he is right now," Elston said. That's why Nix's current focus remains on the here and now, not potential future riches. "Coming off that ass-whooping against Alabama, we just want to get back on track and focus and make our way back to the national championship game, and hopefully do a better job and put on a better performance for everybody to look at," Nix said. Nix was not necessarily displeased with his effort against the Crimson Tide and even offered some perspective on how much the program has grown through his first three seasons. "I think we showed a lot of people we're making a lot of progression from two or three years ago when we were losing to Tulsa," Nix said. "Now we're losing to Alabama in the national championship game. I see things coming along, so I'm not too worried about it. Hopefully we just keep pushing and making strides to get back to the national championship game. "I can't tell you how to get to the next level because I haven't been there yet, but just keep progressing and building our brotherhood, just keep sticking with the game plan, just keep eating what Coach [Bob] Diaco and Coach Elston and all the defensive coaches are feeding us. "No one stays the same. No team stays the same; no one person stays the same. We just keep working together." No one can foresee what will be in Notre Dame's 2013 football box, but one way or another, it should have its share of Irish Chocolate Delight. ✦ Nix-ing11The Drought From 1967-97, different Notre Dame defensive linemen were selected by the NFL in the first round, the most among any Fighting Irish position group. Since then, not one Notre Dame defensive lineman has been taken in the top round. Senior Louis Nix III and junior Stephon Tuitt have a chance to end that drought. Here is a look at each position group and when Notre Dame last had a firstround choice. Position Player (Year) Quarterback Brady Quinn (2007, No. 22) Running Back Jerome Bettis (1993, No. 10) Wide Receiver Michael Floyd (2012, No. 13) Tight End Tyler Eifert (2013, No. 21) Offensive Tackle Luke Petitgout (1999, No. 19) Offensive Guard Aaron Taylor (1994, No. 16) Center Jeff Faine (2003, No. 21) Defensive Line Renaldo Wynn (1997, No. 21) Linebacker Bob Crable (1982, No. 23) Safety Harrison Smith (2012, No. 29) Cornerback Tom Carter (1993, No. 17) 82 ✦ Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview 78-82.Louis Nix III.indd 82 6/25/13 2:12 PM