Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 141 ON THE MOVE Robert Blanton Defensive back Robert Blanton (2008-11) is with the Buffalo Bills after four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. "I feel like I'm the best guy for the job," Blanton told reporters. "So I just have to come in and be Robert Blanton — do my job — and the rest will take care of itself." The move will allow Blanton to compete for a starting position in 2016. With the Vikings, Blanton started 17 of his 60 career games. Thirteen of those came in 2013. David Bruton Shortly after safety David Bruton (2005-08) became a Su- per Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos in February, he signed a three-year deal with the Washington Redskins. The part-time defensive back and special teams standout earned a captaincy during his time with the Broncos because of his leadership skills, and the Redskins hope he will enhance their locker room. Bruton recorded 49 tackles and two forced fumbles during the 2015 regular season. Ryan Harris Bruton's Denver teammate, former Irish offensive tackle and four-year starter Ryan Harris, also departed the organization following the Su- per Bowl win to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. He inked a two-year, $3.9-million deal. Bruton and Harris returned to Notre Dame for the Blue-Gold Game on April 16. BY THE NUMBERS 6 Former Irish players selected in the first three rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft after only one Notre Dame player went in the entire 2015 edition. Notre Dame also achieved its first top-10 pick in 22 years, with left tackle Ronnie Stanley going sixth overall to the Baltimore Ravens. 3 Players Pro Football Focus recognized in its list of the top 101 players in the NFL last season: Minnesota Vikings safety Harri- son Smith (No. 22), Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin (No. 54) and Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert (No. 80) were honored. 11 Ryan Harris and David Bruton winning the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos marks the 11th time in 13 years that a Notre Dame alumnus has been on the championship-winning squad. 16 Games played by San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ian Williams in 2015 after suiting up for only 15 games in his first four seasons because of injury. 5,500,000 Dollars the Carolina Panthers committed to long snapper J.J. Jansen when they signed him to a five-year contract extension this offseason. TOP FIVE MEMORABLE MOMENTS 1. David Bruton and Ryan Harris win Super Bowl with Denver Broncos Bruton, a safety, and Harris, an offensive lineman, became Super Bowl champions when the Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in the final game of the NFL season. They became the 42nd and 43rd former Irish players to earn a Super Bowl ring. Harris started every game in 2015 after signing with the organization in the offseason, while Bruton was out with a broken fibula suffered late in the regular season. 2. Three former Irish players participate in the Pro Bowl Tight end Tyler Eifert (Cincinnati Bengals), safety Harrison Smith (Minnesota Vikings) and right guard Zack Martin (Dallas Cowboys) were all selected to the Pro Bowl after their excellent 2015 seasons. The unfortunate aspect for Eifert is he suffered an ankle injury that required surgery in May and could jeopardize his availability for the start of the regular season. 3. Kyle Rudolph notches his career-long score When he's been healthy, Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph has been very productive in his NFL career. In 2015, he scored the longest touchdown of his five years in the pros. On Nov. 22, Rudolph registered a 47-yard touchdown against the archrival Green Bay Packers in a 30-13 loss. Rudolph would help the Vikings top the Packers in the season finale to claim the NFC North championship. 4. Jimmy Clausen gets another chance The former Irish signal-caller returned to the starting lineup for the first time in years when Chicago's Jay Cutler went down with an injury late in the 2014 season. In 2015, Clausen had another op - portunity — this time with the Baltimore Ravens. With Joe Flacco injured, Clausen started two games and completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 555 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. 5. Ian Williams continues to disrupt opposing backfields It may have appeared to be a meaningless Week 14 game between the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns, two teams that would not make the playoffs. For Williams, though, it carried great significance. The nose guard, finally healthy enough to make big plays late in the sea - son, recorded five tackles and a forced fumble in a 24-10 loss. Due to injury, he had never played more than nine games in a season before 2015 and only once had surpassed three games played in his career. However, in 2015 he played all 16 games and was a mainstay on the 49ers line. TOP FIVE SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCES 1. Tyler Eifert, TE, Cincinnati Bengals — Four times in 2015, Eifert notched games with multiple touchdowns, but no game topped his Thursday Night Football performance Nov. 5 when he reached the end zone three times against the Cleveland Browns. He led the NFL in touchdown receptions for most of the season and still managed to finish with 13 despite injury issues at the end of the campaign. 2. Zack Martin, RG, Dallas Cowboys — It was a mostly miserable season for the Cowboys once quar - terback Tony Romo went down, but Martin was one of the bright spots in a Pro Bowl campaign. On Oct. 25, he and the rest of the offen- sive line paved the way for 233 rush- ing yards in a 27-20 loss to the New York Giants. Four players rushed for at least 18 yards, and run- ning back Darren McFadden led the way with 152. 3. Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals — It was a largely inconsistent season for Floyd despite finishing with strong num- bers: 52 receptions for 849 yards and six scores. No game topped his performance in an important 39-32 win for the eventual NFC West champs over the Seattle Seahawks. Floyd snagged seven receptions for 113 yards and two scores against a tough Seattle defense. 4. Harrison Smith, S, Minnesota Vikings — With the Vikings fight- ing for a playoff spot late in the season, Smith intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown and added five tackles in a 49-17 win over the New York Giants. 5. Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions — Tate's 2015 season (90 receptions, 813 yards), while still very respectable, did not match an elite 2014 campaign (99 catches, 1,331 yards). His efforts, however, helped the Lions in a comeback victory in a 35-27 win at New Orleans in December. He caught six passes for 45 yards and two scores in the victory. While he surpassed that total yardage several times in other games in 2015, the significance of his catches in helping Detroit build a 21-3 lead were unsurpassed. Tyler Eifert tied for fourth in the NFL with 13 receiving touchdowns despite missing three games during the 2015 season. PHOTO COURTESY CINCINNATI BENGALS IRISH IN THE NFL