Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/79477
leaving town on business. Greg had his answer before even posing the question. "I woke him up as I was leaving to O see where his head was," Greg said. "He's like, 'I'm good. This is what I want to do.' " Soon after that it was announced BY WES MORGAN n the morning of Friday, Jan. 6, Greg Eifert walked into his son's room, where Tyler was peacefully sleeping, before named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Founda- tion. "I'm obviously very happy that that the tight end was returning to Notre Dame for his senior season in- stead of declaring his eligibility for the NFL Draft. Tyler will be part of our team next year," Kelly added. "It's always a good thing when an All-American decides he wants to spend another year in your program. Tyler is an ex- citing, athletic tight end who is an es- sential part of our offense. I'm happy he has decided to come back to finish his degree and help us to secure a championship season." His return instantly stabilized an WHERE HE BELONGS Irish offense that will lose Floyd and running back Jonas Gray, and must sort out a complicated quarterback Tyler Eifert reached a sentimental conclusion but it came down to where do I want to be most next year," Eifert said in a university release. "I have some great friends on the football team and at Notre Dame, and I'm excited about the direction Coach [Brian] Kelly has us going. Ultimately, the entire Notre Dame experience, including the great relationships I have with my team- mates and coaches, told me Notre Dame is where I belong." Eifert started all 13 games for the Fighting Irish in 2011, finishing sec- ond in receptions (63), receiving yards (803) and receiving touch- downs (five) to star wide receiver Mi- chael Floyd. He was a finalist for the Mackey Award, which is presented to the nation's top tight end, and was "This was a tough decision for me, time All-American Ken MacAfee's 34-year sin- gle-season Notre Dame record of most passes caught (63) and most receiving yards (803) by a tight end. By coming back for his senior year, he could set new career standards as well. Tight End As a junior in 2011, Tyler Eifert broke three- FOR THE RECORD 3. Anthony Fasano 92 1,102 12.0 8 4. Kyle Rudolph 5. Tyler Eifert 1. Ken MacAfee 2. John Carlson 90 1,032 11.5 8 90 1,155 12.8 7 Note: MacAfee was the No. 7 overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft, while Carlson, Fasano and Ru- dolph all were selected in the second round within the last six years. 56 MARCH 2012 Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 128 1,759 13.7 15 100 1,093 10.9 8 situation in 2012. Eifert has 90 career receptions, which is tied with Kyle Rudolph for fourth all time at Notre Dame, and 1,155 receiving yards. He needs 39 receptions and 605 receiv- ing yards to break Ken MacAfee's program records for tight ends. What he needed most, according to Greg, was "to be a kid one more year." Reaching that conclusion re- quired a great deal of maturity and advice from trusted friends, relatives, coaches and teammates. As a family, a list of pros and cons my buddies that I've played with.' " Later that night Eifert was visited by quarterback Tommy Rees, offen- sive lineman Zack Martin and line- backer Dan Fox. Offensive lineman Chris Watt and offensive coordina- tor Chuck Martin appeared the fol- lowing evening. Their trips to Fort Wayne, Ind., were less about recruit- ing pitches, Greg said, than it was a collective show of support. "I think they missed each other was compiled on an 8x11 notepad, which was prominently displayed in the kitchen. The NFL Advisory Com- mittee pegged Eifert as a third-round prospect, which also played heav- ily into the decision. Past injuries reminded Eifert that the game isn't guaranteed beyond the next snap. Dollar signs flashed in his eyes. "It was a tough week that week after the bowl game, and we were trying to give him his space and try to let him make his own decision," Greg said. "We told him, 'Hey, when you make your decision one way or the other, whatever that is, sleep on it and make sure the next day it's the right decision.' " That previous Tuesday, Eifert told (Minnesota Vikings). He also was in touch with Tim McDonnell, the Notre Dame program's director of football personnel. Following a workout on Wednes- day, Eifert had changed his mind. "He said, 'Dad, I think I really want to stay [at Notre Dame].' We were like, 'Okay, why don't you sleep on it,' " Greg recalled. "I said that night, 'Do you remember back three years ago why you wanted to go to Notre Dame?' He said, 'Yeah, because of the academics and being able to graduate from there.' "I said, 'That's right, don't ever for- get that.' He said, 'I think it's impor- tant that I finish my senior year with over break and just wanted to get to- gether," Greg explained. "[My wife] Julie and I were sitting in the kitchen and Tommy Rees walked in. We asked him, 'Well, what's [Tyler] say- ing?' [Rees] said, 'We haven't even talked about it.' " Martin did take the time to con- vey the changes being made to the Irish offense and how Eifert would be a focal point of the 2012 campaign if he were to come back. It wasn't, however, the primary topic of con- versation. "I think [Tyler] thought [Martin being named coordinator] was a very positive move," Greg said. "[Martin] wasn't here to recruit Ty, and he said that right up front. He just sat down and said, 'I want you to know we his family he was ready to go the NFL Draft route. Later in the eve- ning, Eifert spoke with former Fight- ing Irish tight ends John Carlson (Se- attle Seahawks) and Kyle Rudolph Eifert ranked second on the Irish in recep- tions (63), receiving yards (803) and receiving touchdowns (five) en route to first-team All- America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation in 2011. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED