Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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In-State Defensive Lineman Sheldon Day Was An Irish Priority From The Start FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE the way he communicated with us." Day has already built a relation- ship with Elston, and its one he cherishes beyond football. "I love him like my dad," Day continued. "He is going to be a great influence on my life. He will make me a better person on and off the field." Day enrolled early at Notre Dame and he reported to campus Jan. 15. While it would seem that most high school seniors getting ready to leave their classmates and attend college would be intimidated, he was pre- pared to step up to the challenge. "I'm ready," he said before leav- ing for South Bend. "I have a great support group [at Notre Dame], and it feels like home already. That's my family there. "Since Notre Dame can graduate Day, the No. 10 defensive tackle and No. 81 overall player nationally according to 247Sports, was the BY JASON SAPP options. While his final choice may have been making an early-August commitment to Notre Dame, there was a process before he reached that point. "We have pretty extensive winter S heldon Day definitely wasn't limited when it came to college to a heated battle with Michigan, which Hart shared he thought was the leader most of the time. After Day gave his commitment, The race to land Day came down there was no deviating from the plan. "I'm going to completely shut it workouts. When Notre Dame came in to see those from that point on they had told me that their prior- ity for a defensive lineman was to sign Sheldon," Warren Central High head coach John Hart said. "That's when it really took off. … A lot of guys look great on film and it's hard to tell sometimes how good they re- ally are, but the coaches seeing him in person put it all together. "Notre Dame did a good job of not putting the squeeze on him, but at the same time they were after only one or two defensive linemen. They knew they had to get him, but at that point everybody in the country had offered — LSU, Auburn, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Michigan. As a de- fensive lineman you couldn't have picked better schools to excel at your position." 26 MARCH 2012 down because I don't want to go somewhere else trying to see if they can show me something better than Notre Dame," Day said after making his choice. "That doesn't look right for a commitment." Day held true to his word months later and decided to use his official visit to Notre Dame for the Football Awards Show over the weekend of Dec. 9-11. He was hosted by fresh- man defensive end Aaron Lynch, and the visit further solidified his stance on going to South Bend for his college career. While out on the road recruiting, Irish head coach Brian Kelly and de- fensive line coach Mike Elston made Indianapolis a stop and headed to Day's home to spend time with him and his family. "It all went really well," Day said Indianapolis Star's Super Team Player of the Year and a runner-up for Indiana's Mr. Football award. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS their players in 3.5 years, I feel like I could do that if I come in early, and maybe get a master's or something while I'm there. That would be a good advantage academically, and it would give me a better feel for my coaches and allow me to be part of spring ball so I can get adjusted to everything." He noted that the plan is for him to room with fellow early enrollee, cornerback Tee Shepard of Fresno, Calif. The Irish coaching staff wasn't the only one to see Day's talent level. Fellow 2012 signee John Turner's coach at Indianapolis Cathedral, Rick Streiff, also had high praise for Day's ability. "He's a great football player," he said when his state championship team played Warren Central mid- way through the season. "I hope we don't run into any more teams like that with guys as big and as good as him. That's for sure. "Notre Dame is getting a player who knows only one thing — and that's to give everything he has," he said. Day plans to continue that ap- proach to football and life in South Bend. "I have one opportunity, and it's after the in-home visit. "Just the way Coach Kelly relates to my family and time for me to go out, show every- body what I can do and make my family proud." ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED