And I remember him as the fellow O'Neill resident that taught me that the dining hall sugar cookies needed to be microwaved for 12 seconds for best results.
ND Alum | Email | Homepage | 01.13.06 - 7:15 pm | #

I'm not that big a country fan, but I enjoy a good laugh and I enjoy laughter. So thanx Mr Smith.
First Huddle Grill Guy | Email | Homepage | 01.13.06 - 7:41 pm | #

I lived down the hall from Hunter my sophomore year (his senior). He was one of the nicest guys in the dorm. Real down to earth.

He is also probably one of the most all-around athletic people I've watched play sports. You don't get to see it that often, but anyone that saw him chase down Deion Sanders knows what I am talking about. His hands are great too. No one handles bad snaps as well as he does.
Tom | Email | Homepage | 01.13.06 - 10:43 pm | #

that was f-ing hilarious. loved the shot at vanderjagt.

he also put everyone in our freshman year theology class to shame.
tjf | Email | Homepage | 01.14.06 - 1:01 am | #

I suppose it's possible that other alum from other schools have similar stories about interactions between the student and the student/athlete, but it seems to me that there is far fertiler ground among ND alum than other-shall-remain-unnamed schools since ND doesn't segregate the student from the s/a. No tenth floor at ND.

My time at ND was a bit before most of the current commenters, but the during my second semester of PE I seemed to draw Tom Gatewood to wrestle against every time. Needless to say, he always politely pinned my *ss. Mike McCoy lived down the hall. As friendly as his was big.

Perhaps during this relatively inactive post football season, we should start a thread and relate our stories. It would make for interesting reading.
First Huddle Grill Guy | Email | Homepage | 01.14.06 - 9:24 am | #

I'll never forget Hunter the Punter being brought into QB against Rutgers during Lou's last game.

No ND fan who knows Hunter's history as a HS QB is ever surprised when the Colts fake a punt.
SeanH | Email | Homepage | 01.14.06 - 10:16 am | #

Too funny.
KL | Email | Homepage | 01.14.06 - 10:28 am | #

how sad is it that the best player/pro that went to ND while I was there was the freaking punter?
Bryan ND '02 | Email | Homepage | 01.14.06 - 12:51 pm | #

I can attest to his dunking prowess.

I was posterized.
Tom '99 | Email | Homepage | 01.14.06 - 8:58 pm | #

he's getting more playing time today than he has all season
Justin | Email | Homepage | 01.15.06 - 3:09 pm | #

Wow. Talk about eerie timing for this blog.

Wide right for the most accurate holder/kicker in NFL History.
Jeff | Email | Homepage | 01.15.06 - 4:47 pm | #

I love Hunter like a brother.

I love Kenny Chesney like those cowboys in "Brokeback"
Peyton M. | Email | Homepage | 01.15.06 - 9:42 pm | #

First Huddle Grill Guy, that was very well put. And the Tom Gatewood comment made me laugh out loud.

I always wondered why Davie didn't try Smith out at flanker.
Robb | Email | Homepage | 01.16.06 - 1:58 pm | #

It seems like lots of us have funny student/athlete iteractions from our time under the dome, from gettng nailed by Craig Hentrich in an indoor soccer match (the ball left its imprint on my chest, but my defense was stout!) to Rocket pulling me aside in the Huddle to see if I knew his name versus Ricky Waters (who was sitting a couple of seats over).

But perhaps the best thing this blog entry subtley (sp?) points out is that Charlie Weis has the cojones to have a guy like Hunter run a fake (or Samardzija throw long or Bruschi catch a TD etc). The plays didn't always work so well this year, but with Brad Quinn and gang around for a 2nd Weis season . . . Oh man, I can't wait to see what Weis thinks up.

Go ND.
atepesm | Email | Homepage | 01.16.06 - 9:18 pm | #

Whoops, I meant Brady Quinn, not Brad. Apparently this hotel TV/internet connection is piss poor.
atepesm | Email | Homepage | 01.16.06 - 9:20 pm | #

Here's a student-nonathlete/student-athlete story that I witnessed happen to a buddy of mine.

Sophomore year we were all at an off-campus party and my friend, "Joe" was in the throes of wooing a would-be companion for the evening. He thought he was in-like-Flynn when into the party walks Tony Rice, who sweeps her off her feet, and out the door.

The sad postscript was it was the night the football team had lost for the first time that year, against Pittsburgh, a late afternoon game. The game had ended when TRice, subbing for an injured Terry Andrysiak, ran out of bounds on 4th down, ostensibly to kill the clock. Still, the events would not deter the newly anointed QB from making his appointed late-night rounds.
c-stone | Email | Homepage | 01.17.06 - 5:18 pm | #

Have you guys seen this? PLEASE tell me this is a joke. I read the whole thing looking for the tell-tale irony...

http://www.cancharlie.com/
Nate | Email | Homepage | 01.17.06 - 8:48 pm | #

wow this guy is definately wasting his time
John | Email | Homepage | 01.17.06 - 10:46 pm | #

Nate, the site was not set up by Notre Dame fans. Looks like the handy work of a fan of some other school. Ignore it and it will go away.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 01.18.06 - 12:33 am | #

So atepesm- did you know the difference b/w Ricky and Rocket?

My funny ND athlete story goes back to 90/91. I had just arrived at Bridget's and was staring off toward the back of the bar when I heard this voice say, "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" I was looking in the direction of the voice, but couldn't see anyone. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I was able to make out that it was Devon McDonald staring at me (and me inadvertently staring at him). If anyone remembers Devon, he was a very dark (and very big) African-American male and I couldn't see him from a distance in the poor lighting at Bridget's. Needless to say, I adjusted my gaze.

Nate, I checked it out and after reading first two paragraphs I determined these guys were yahoos by their factual inaccuracies: the last time I looked, 617 yards is not "almost 700"; rounding to the nearest 100 would yield 600. Plus, unless Pat's wrong (which I have no reason to believe to be the case), then 617 is 7 yards more than the 610 in the 2002 USC game, and thus did not "[beat] the old mark by over 100." I also found the survey on who to replace Charlie amusing; Mariucci? Wow, he did a bang up job with all that offensive talent in Detroit.
Irish Rat | Email | Homepage | 01.18.06 - 3:32 pm | #

I'm old skool... When I was a frosh in Dillon, a very scary looking Mike Golic lived on the first floor. ESPN sure has cleaned him up nicely.
Kevin | Email | Homepage | 01.18.06 - 5:12 pm | #

Heck yeah I knew the difference, but I could tell from the onset of the conversation (Rocket going "Here look at this kid, he looks like an average ND student . . . Hey you, come here!") that they were debating who was more recognizable on campus.

I, of course, feigned ignorance. Rocket pointed to Ricky and said, "Do you know who that is? " then continued with a "Do you know who I am?" I mumbled something about "Look man, I'm about to flunk my thermodynamics exam, I don't recognize you jokers with out numbered jerseys on, but yes Rocket, I know who you are."
atepesm | Email | Homepage | 01.18.06 - 7:46 pm | #