Spring Break
Football: Six pieces of the puzzle
Jay Fitzpatrick
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Irish Insider
When Notre Dame football players walk into the Isban Auditorium in the Guglielmino Athletics Complex for interviews, they normally walk in individually, one at a time. When the offensive line came through the door Wednesday night, all six arrived at once, and sat in a row awaiting reporters.
This is all part of Irish coach Charlie Weis' plan: The linemen are a unit on the field and are treated like one off of it. But Weis didn't have to institute this plan; the linemen already do everything together anyways.
Together as one
The offensive linemen are a self-proclaimed tight-knit group, on and off the field.
Guard Mike Turkovich said they hang out together outside of practice and go out to eat together. They even have their lockers close together in the Irish locker room.
Center Dan Wenger said playing and fraternizing with his linemates has been great so far this spring.
"We're having a lot more fun, we're understanding what each other is doing, we're playing as a unit," he said.
This camaraderie mostly manifests itself when the team travels as a group to Bruno's Pizza after most practices. Wenger said the topic of conversation is always the same.
"The food on the table, pretty much just 'Pass it here,'" he said.
Guard Eric Olsen agreed.
"There's no talking because everyone's so hungry that we pretty much just chow down," he said.
These dinners are not a tradition for Irish linemen; in fact, it's just six close friends enjoying a meal together. The only difference is the amount of food they eat.
Olsen said the group has killed a good number of buffets in the their time there. Wenger said the six of them could handle two or three pizzas, but when he learned right tackle Sam Young said guard Chris Stewart eats two or three 20-inch pizzas on his own even on a diet, Wenger changed his story.
"Oh, I didn't realize Chris was coming," Wenger joked.
Jokes like these are near constant among the linemen, and no one is spared. Stewart's thing is that he eats too much.
This is all part of Irish coach Charlie Weis' plan: The linemen are a unit on the field and are treated like one off of it. But Weis didn't have to institute this plan; the linemen already do everything together anyways.
Together as one
The offensive linemen are a self-proclaimed tight-knit group, on and off the field.
Guard Mike Turkovich said they hang out together outside of practice and go out to eat together. They even have their lockers close together in the Irish locker room.
Center Dan Wenger said playing and fraternizing with his linemates has been great so far this spring.
"We're having a lot more fun, we're understanding what each other is doing, we're playing as a unit," he said.
This camaraderie mostly manifests itself when the team travels as a group to Bruno's Pizza after most practices. Wenger said the topic of conversation is always the same.
"The food on the table, pretty much just 'Pass it here,'" he said.
Guard Eric Olsen agreed.
"There's no talking because everyone's so hungry that we pretty much just chow down," he said.
These dinners are not a tradition for Irish linemen; in fact, it's just six close friends enjoying a meal together. The only difference is the amount of food they eat.
Olsen said the group has killed a good number of buffets in the their time there. Wenger said the six of them could handle two or three pizzas, but when he learned right tackle Sam Young said guard Chris Stewart eats two or three 20-inch pizzas on his own even on a diet, Wenger changed his story.
"Oh, I didn't realize Chris was coming," Wenger joked.
Jokes like these are near constant among the linemen, and no one is spared. Stewart's thing is that he eats too much.