Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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144 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW IRISH IN THE NFL BY THE NUMBERS 1 Former Notre Dame player Pro Football Focus rec- ognized in its list of the top 101 players in the NFL in 2016. Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin was the only former Irish player to make the list (No. 35). 2 Former Irish players selected in the NFL Draft in 2017, a year after Notre Dame had seven players taken, including six in the first three rounds. Quarter- back DeShone Kizer was a second-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, the highest pick for the Irish in 2017. 6 Former Irish tight ends are on NFL rosters enter- ing the 2017 season: Anthony Fasano (Miami), Kyle Rudolph (Minnesota), John Carlson and Troy Nik- las (Arizona), Tyler Eifert (Cincinnati) and Ben Koyack (Jacksonville). 12 Michael Floyd winning the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots marks the 12th time in 14 years that a former Notre Dame player has been on the championship-winning team. 6,000,000 Dollars Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate will make in 2017, the most money any former Notre Dame player will be paid in the NFL this season. ON THE MOVE Michael Floyd After a brief stint with the New England Patriots — which included a Super Bowl victory — receiver Michael Floyd (2008-11) signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings in May. "Coach [Mike] Zimmer and I are confident Michael Floyd has learned and grown from his past decisions," Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement. Floyd's had an up-and-down first six seasons in the NFL and was released by the Arizona Cardi- nals last December after he was arrested for a DUI. Manti Te'o Injuries have limited linebacker Manti Te'o (2009-12) during the first four years of his career, but the New Orleans Saints took a chance and gave the Hawaiian a two-year deal. Te'o has appeared in 38 career games (34 starts), and has totaled 233 tackles (160 solo), 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble and nine passes defended. Te'o started the first three games in 2016 before suffering an Achilles tear, which caused him to miss the rest of the season. "I'm grateful that they believed in me to being me on board, so I'm real excited," Te'o told reporters. Anthony Fasano After spending the last four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and Ten- nessee Titans, tight end Anthony Fasano (2002-05) is returning to Miami, the team that drafted him. Fasano was graded by Pro Football Focus as the best run-blocking tight end in the NFL last season, and he'll put those skills to work for the Dol- phins. He signed a one-year deal for around $3 million with incentives. The 33-year-old Fasano caught just eight passes for 83 yards with two touchdowns in 2016 for Tennessee. TOP FIVE SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCES 1. Will Fuller, WR, Houston Texans — In just the fourth game of his rookie season, Fuller took the Tennessee Titans by storm Oct. 2. Not only did he catch seven of nine targets for 81 yards and a touchdown, the 6-0, 180-pound speedster returned a punt 67 yards for a touch- down with 56 seconds remaining to give Houston a 27-20 victory. 2. Zack Martin, RG, Dallas Cowboys — One week after having its franchise-record 11-game winning streak ended, Dallas bounced back Dec. 19 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Martin, the All-Pro right guard, helped pave the way for rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott's 159-yard performance, a career high. Trailing by three in the fourth quarter, Martin and the Cowboys scored the last nine points to notch the 26-20 win. 3. Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions — Tate enjoyed one of the best days of his career Oct. 16 against the Los Angeles Rams, catching eight passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. His score — a 23-yard catch from quarterback Matthew Stafford — tied the game at 28-28 with 6:02 left in the fourth as the Lions went on to win 31-28. Tate's 20.6 yards per catch average was a season high. Consistently among the most targeted players by Stafford, his touchdown was a bit of a rarity. He tallied four scores all season. 4. Romeo Okwara, DE, New York Giants — Filling in for the injured Jason Pierre-Paul on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys Dec. 11, Okwara proved he belonged. The 6-5, 265-pounder recorded eight combined tackles (three solo), one sack and a pass defended. He entered the game with just 12 total tackles all season in limited action, but was instrumental in the Giants' 10-7 upset win over the first-place Cowboys. 5. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings — In the Vikings' season finale against the Chicago Bears Jan. 1, Rudolph was a matchup nightmare. The 6-6, 265-pounder caught 11 of 15 targets for 117 yards and a touchdown en route to a dominant 38-10 win. Rudolph, a picture of consistency throughout his six-year NFL stint, finished the season with a career-high 83 catches for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. ON THE RISE Ronnie Stanley, OT, Baltimore Ravens The rookie offensive tackle began the season slow, missing the first four games with a nagging foot injury. But when the injury subsided and he got into a groove, few were better at their position in 2016. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded Stanley as one of the top three rookie offensive tackles in the NFL in 2016, trailing only Tennessee's Jack Conklin and Detroit's Taylor Decker. ESPN named Stanley — the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft — the AFC North division Rookie of the Year, sparked by a strong finish. Stanley was the NFL's best left tackle over the last four weeks of the season, according to PFF. Will Fuller, WR, Houston Texans Even with struggling Brock Osweiler at quarterback throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in 2016, Fuller made an impact as a rookie. He played in 14 regular- season games during his first NFL campaign, tallying 635 yards and two touchdowns. Even with a lingering hamstring in - jury throughout the season, Fuller proved to be a dangerous deep threat for the Texans, finishing the season ranked third among rookies in yards and fifth in catches. With first-round draft pick Deshaun Watson now in the fold at quarterback, Fuller's production could see another tick upwards. Despite being limited by a nagging ham- string injury, Houston Texans rookie re- ceiver Will Fuller electrified crowds with his speed — catching the ball and returning punts. PHOTO COURTESY HOUSTON TEXANS Defensive end Romeo Okwara — who went undraft- ed — came on strong down the stretch for the New York Giants, and finished the season with 25 tackles and one sack. PHOTO COURTESY NEW YORK GIANTS Romeo Okwara, DE, New York Giants Many throughout football wonder how the high-upside Okwara went undrafted in 2016. He wasted no time showing his potential, making the Giants as an undrafted free agent and ultimately making an impact when it counted most. Okwara made the most of his opportunity Dec. 11 against Dal - las. In 60 defensive snaps, Okwara registered his first career sack, a team-high eight tackles, two QB hits, a hurry and a pass defended. Still just 21 years old, Okwara is only scratching the surface of his tal - ent. After switching from linebacker to defensive end during his Notre Dame career, he's on an upward trajectory as a pro.