Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 59 I didn't do that last year. I'm trying to pick up the little things. "I felt stronger at the end of last season. I didn't feel that strong at the beginning of the season, battling the [hamstring] injury. I was able to improve. I want to carry that over into this season." In Notre Dame's short-lived 2016 tradi- tion of letting one player each week wear the No. 1 jersey — given to a player who represents Notre Dame football on and off the field well — Adams received the honor for the Michigan State game. While the practice of rotating the jersey week to week was discontinued midway through the season, Kelly's answer to why Adams was selected shed some light on his behind-the-scenes attitude. "It was, since he's gotten here as a fresh- man, the way he's worked," Kelly said. "It's been a championship-level work ethic. You have to have that in your best players. "They've got to be your best workers, and he's clearly one of our best workers in prac- tice. He sets a high bar, and that's why he'll wear the jersey No. 1." While Adams continues to be a steady per- former, he's been relatively overshadowed during his career. In the 2015 signing class, Notre Dame also brought in Williams, who came to South Bend with more fanfare as a four-star prospect. When Adams arrived on campus, the Irish already had Folston entrenched as the No. 1 running back — having rushed for 1,359 yards through two seasons — the versatile Prosise and former five-star recruit Greg Bryant. Adams, though, was needed much sooner than expected. Folston got injured, Prosise assumed a larger role running the ball and Bryant transferred. The 5-11, 202-pound Williams, who is perhaps more physically gifted than Adams, has yet to reach his potential at Notre Dame, amassing 281 yards and four touchdowns through two seasons. Even this past spring, sophomore Tony Jones Jr., who redshirted in 2016, received more notice from coaches and teammates than Adams, mainly because Adams has been such a steady presence. Such is the life of the understated ball car- rier that has positioned himself for a potential NFL career. Though it's unlikely that Adams is selected in the first or second round — DraftCountdown.com's Scott Wright said he would probably be taken between rounds three through five — the longevity of running backs could make jumping early to the NFL a possibility. According to the NFL Players Associa- tion, running backs have the shortest average careers of any position group at just 2.57 years. The average career of an NFL player is 3.3 years. Having already suffered a seri- ous injury in high school, Adams has the profile of an NFL early entrant. Regardless, Adams, Williams and Jones form one of the deepest position groups on the team. Seeing what they're capable of, with Adams leading the way, is just one more reason Notre Dame football is looking up in 2017. ✦ GOOD COMPANY Only three running backs in Notre Dame history have entered their junior seasons with more yards on the ground than Josh Adams, who begins his third campaign in South Bend with 1,768 rushing yards on 275 carries. Adams' impressive career average of 6.4 yards per carry ranks fourth on the all-time chart at Notre Dame for players who have had at least 150 rushing attempts. The Warrington, Pa., native rushed for a Notre Dame freshman-record 835 yards in 2015, breaking the previous mark set by Darius Walker in 2004 (786 yards). Unlike Adams, Walker did not play in the opener of his freshman season (a 20-17 loss at Brigham Young), but participating in a bowl helped the cause because by then the NCAA and schools were also including postseason action in the final data. Adams followed his freshman campaign with an even better sophomore season in 2016, tallying 933 yards on the ground for the Irish. His total was nearly more than the 1,006 produced by the next three Irish players combined: quarterback DeShone Kizer (472) plus running backs Tarean Folston (334) and Dexter Williams (200). Poised for another strong season in 2017, Adams is already in elite company in Notre Dame history. Here are the three running backs with more yards than his 1,768 through two seasons: 1. Allen Pinkett (1982‑83), 2,037 yards, 5.26 yards per carry — The two-time All-American began his career with excellent back-to-back seasons. He entered his freshman year in 1982 behind both Phil Carter and Greg Bell on the depth chart but came on strong to finish with 532 yards and five touchdowns. As a sophomore in 1983, Pinkett was the unquestioned No. 1 back and took advantage of the opportu- nity. The 5-9, 190-pounder ran for 1,394 yards and 16 touchdowns, and helped lead the Irish to a Liberty Bowl victory over Boston College with 111 more yards on the ground. Pinkett went on to play six seasons with the Houston Oilers (1986-91), gaining 2,324 rushing yards with 21 touchdowns and catching 119 passes, including five scores. 2. Darius Walker (2004‑05) 1,982 yards, 4.53 yards per carry — The versatile Walker burst onto the scene in 2004, rushing for 786 yards to set a new Irish rookie standard. The 5-11, 205-pounder, who was also known for his receiving abilities out of the backfield, followed that effort up with a stellar sophomore year in 2005, rushing for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. In his third and final college season in 2006, Walker became just the fourth Notre Dame running back in school history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive sea- sons, joining Vagas Ferguson, Pinkett and Autry Denson. Walker declared for the NFL after his junior season, ultimately going undrafted and playing just two sea- sons with the Houston Texans. 3 . A u t r y D e n s o n (1995‑96), 1,941 yards, 5.55 yards per carry — The current Notre Dame running backs coach, Denson was an extremely productive back throughout his Irish career. In 1995 as a freshman under Lou Holtz, the native of Lauderhill, Fla., ran for 762 yards, splitting time with Randy Kinder and Robert Farmer. Denson took full-time responsibilities in 1996, rushing for 1,179 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore. Denson went on to become a seventh- round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1999 and played five seasons in the NFL. — Matt Jones When including bowl game stats, which weren't in his era, Allen Pinkett is the lone Irish running back to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards during his first two years in South Bend. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS