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SOUTH BEND — Six practices into Notre Dame football spring sessions, coach Marcus Freeman has seen his Fighting Irish live up to their nickname.
Tight end Cooper Flanagan and safety Adon Shuler were spotted squaring off in the March 20 opening session that was open to the media, but Freeman suggested after Wednesday April 1’s first live contact practice that the trend continues.
“These dudes are competitive,” he said. “I don’t want them to lose that competitive spirit. If we don’t have scuffles or tussles, then we’re probably not as competitive as I aspire to have our team to be.”
That’s not to say there aren’t parameters to the sporadic showdowns.
“We do have a simple rule: Two guys fighting is the max,” Freeman said. “We’re not going to have full-team melees. If two guys are fighting, they’re fighting. Everybody else’s job is to break them up.
“We have to be proactive about that in terms of showing them and teaching them. Our guys do an unbelievable job at pulling guys apart so you’re not wasting time.”
Trophy tweak: Notre Dame football isn't concerned with Indiana's CFP trophy tour in South Bend
Efficiency is key this time of year, not to mention NCAA limitations on how many hours players can devote each week to their sport.
“We have so much work to do, we can’t waste two minutes breaking up a fight,” Freeman said. “Everybody else break them up, put the ball down and go. There are some consequences if we do waste too much time. I’m going to get some time back somehow, some way, but you want that.”
Thirty years removed from his age-10 U.S. Junior Olympic national championship in taekwondo, Freeman referenced youthful skirmishes with his older brother, Michael, growing up in Huber Heights, Ohio.
“I don’t know how many of you guys have brothers,” Freeman said. “Me and my brother, we would fight. It’s just like brothers. We fight. But there’s a line you don’t cross. When you’re fighting your brothers, some people might think I’m crazy, (but) you just don’t cross a certain line, and everybody’s line might be a little different. That’s ours.”
Nor are disagreements allowed to linger.
“Don’t cross the line and don’t take it off the field,” Freeman said. “It can’t be personal. It’s just, ‘OK, you went too hard. I thought you went too hard. I’m mad. I threw a punch or whatever.’
“Let’s break it up and let’s go. But (what’s) nonnegotiable is to carry that thing off the field. If I hear about that, then we have a bigger issue. Our captains, our leaders, have to make sure we stop it or I ultimately do.”
Sixth-year defensive tackle Jason Onye underwent surgery Tuesday for a fractured right hand. Freshman safety Nick Reddish is set to undergo surgery Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman doesn't mind brotherly fuss
Continue reading...
Tight end Cooper Flanagan and safety Adon Shuler were spotted squaring off in the March 20 opening session that was open to the media, but Freeman suggested after Wednesday April 1’s first live contact practice that the trend continues.
“These dudes are competitive,” he said. “I don’t want them to lose that competitive spirit. If we don’t have scuffles or tussles, then we’re probably not as competitive as I aspire to have our team to be.”
That’s not to say there aren’t parameters to the sporadic showdowns.
“We do have a simple rule: Two guys fighting is the max,” Freeman said. “We’re not going to have full-team melees. If two guys are fighting, they’re fighting. Everybody else’s job is to break them up.
“We have to be proactive about that in terms of showing them and teaching them. Our guys do an unbelievable job at pulling guys apart so you’re not wasting time.”
Trophy tweak: Notre Dame football isn't concerned with Indiana's CFP trophy tour in South Bend
Efficiency is key this time of year, not to mention NCAA limitations on how many hours players can devote each week to their sport.
“We have so much work to do, we can’t waste two minutes breaking up a fight,” Freeman said. “Everybody else break them up, put the ball down and go. There are some consequences if we do waste too much time. I’m going to get some time back somehow, some way, but you want that.”
Thirty years removed from his age-10 U.S. Junior Olympic national championship in taekwondo, Freeman referenced youthful skirmishes with his older brother, Michael, growing up in Huber Heights, Ohio.
“I don’t know how many of you guys have brothers,” Freeman said. “Me and my brother, we would fight. It’s just like brothers. We fight. But there’s a line you don’t cross. When you’re fighting your brothers, some people might think I’m crazy, (but) you just don’t cross a certain line, and everybody’s line might be a little different. That’s ours.”
Nor are disagreements allowed to linger.
“Don’t cross the line and don’t take it off the field,” Freeman said. “It can’t be personal. It’s just, ‘OK, you went too hard. I thought you went too hard. I’m mad. I threw a punch or whatever.’
“Let’s break it up and let’s go. But (what’s) nonnegotiable is to carry that thing off the field. If I hear about that, then we have a bigger issue. Our captains, our leaders, have to make sure we stop it or I ultimately do.”
Notre Dame football injury updates
Sixth-year defensive tackle Jason Onye underwent surgery Tuesday for a fractured right hand. Freshman safety Nick Reddish is set to undergo surgery Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman doesn't mind brotherly fuss
Continue reading...
