Best safety in the last 40 years....
- Thread starter 88ND
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His last season at ND was 1982 so I'll write in Dave Duerson. The best of the bunch in my opinion. 2 time All American.
Harrison Smith had one great year mainly because of position changes and is deserving of being considered here. But I’m afraid nobody tops Shawn Wooden. I have watched all of the above play and there is simply no comparison.
Zibby was excellent against the run. Pretty ordinary in coverage. To this day I'll never understand him biting on play action on 4th down against USC in 05.
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Agreed. By the way the one play that I think was most memorable for Zibby was against the Spartans. He literally too the ball from the receiver and ran the other way for the TD.
"Zibby was excellent against the run. Pretty ordinary in coverage. To this day I'll never understand him biting on play action on 4th down against USC in 05."
Exactly! 4th and 11 I believe -- why is he biting so hard? He should have known down and distance and if he does not bite, he at least is in position to break up the pass.
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Zibby also ran back a fumble he took away from an Ohio State player in the bowl game and ran it back for a TD to tie the game if it wasn't for the ref making a bad call.
Bodi, yup I forgot about that one. Man I am praying they can get over the hump by finally beating OSU in September
Remember when he stripped the ball away from a Michigan State receiver and ran for a TD?
I just went back and watched that play and then a short highlight reel, and I forgot how much fun he was to watch. Brought offense to defense.
I'm not sure I can say Kyle Hamilton.
Taking all things into account I can't select him simply based on his lack of commitment to his teammates. Maybe others don't care but that me first behavior in a TEAM sport I'll never have time for.
If we talk about impact players...
Zbikowski hands down
Most fundamentally sound
Jeff Burris
The hardest hitting tandem was definitely Shawn Wooden and Brian Magee
Taking all things into account I can't select him simply based on his lack of commitment to his teammates. Maybe others don't care but that me first behavior in a TEAM sport I'll never have time for.
If we talk about impact players...
Zbikowski hands down
Most fundamentally sound
Jeff Burris
The hardest hitting tandem was definitely Shawn Wooden and Brian Magee
Kyle Hamilton. I voted for him because he is supremely talented, as evidenced by the 2022 NFL Draft.
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I like Harrison's physicality over Hamilton. Will be interesting to see if Hamilton has a superior NFL career. Jeff Burris and Tommy Z were legit football players. If I needed help everywhere I might select one of them over Smith/Hamilton.
Off the radar name would be David Bruton. Certainly not the best in last 40yrs but that dude could cover some ground and had an excellent senior season.
Off the radar name would be David Bruton. Certainly not the best in last 40yrs but that dude could cover some ground and had an excellent senior season.
This is funny. You can tell the old stuck in the past posters on these sites.
And I'm not "young"
It was obvious to see
Not true at all. He was late on his responsibility over the top. Absolutely no reason to bite given the circumstances.
Harrison to me.....he was more valuable overall and a team player. His senior year alone he had almost as many tackles as Hamilton did in 3 years. He played all 4 years and didn't sit out the bowl game despite being a first round pick. In the bowl, he had 3 picks against Miami. He owns a few ND records or tops at most...just really a great career there.
He is also an all pro player in the NFL, pretty tough to do. Hands down, Harrison for me. No knock on Hamilton.
To me, best safety we have ever had both college and pro.
He is also an all pro player in the NFL, pretty tough to do. Hands down, Harrison for me. No knock on Hamilton.
To me, best safety we have ever had both college and pro.
I did say 40 years.
Depending on how you look at it..he's either at 40 or 41 years ago...
I just went back and re-watched the play numerous times. To expect Z to make that play on the Leinart/Jarrett fourth down pass is ludicrous.
And on top of that, there was no play action from Leinart, Z didn’t bite on anything, because there was nothing from Matt Leinart to bite on.
I would not expect Ed Reed in his prime to make that play on Dwayne Jarrett from the safety position.
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LOL...
Considering you're only old enough to have watched Hamilton you would say something like
"nobody is close to Hamilton"
And trust me...the shiny new toy isn't always the best.
"With the 14th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft......" The Baltimore Ravens may disagree with you.
13 other teams disagreed with them for that matter and perhaps they disagree with themselves as they had just signed saftey Marcus Williams for 70 million prior to the draft.
Oh and still carrying Chuck Clark ..the other starting saftey.
That said it doesn't matter what he does on Sunday...
IMO The Irish have had better players @ the saftey position in the last 40 years than Hamilton.
Including those that wanted to participate with their TEAM using their COLLECTIVE EFFORTS finishing the season in it's entirety.
Im 36v years old.
Harrison Smith had the best single season I've seen as a safety.
But Kyle Hamilton is the best safety I've seen at Notre Dame. And it's not really close.
When you are 20-years-old and you are looking at a fully guaranteed 16.4 million dollar contract soon after you turn 21, and optimum physical health is #1 to your profession, to question the kid not playing in a bowl game is a bit self serving on your part.
I had zero problem with Kyle Hamilton or Kyren Williams being loyal to their physical well being once each declared early for the NFL Draft, and frankly, if you polled the team and coaching staff, I would be willing to bet that the vast majority did not have a problem either.
Fast forward 6 months or so from losing 37-35 to Oklahoma State, Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Football program has not only survived the bowl loss, it is thriving.
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Stop the horseshit...
", if you polled the team and coaching staff, I would be willing to bet that the vast majority did not have a problem either."
No shit sheriff...what will they say? KH is being selfish. He's only about himself. Blah blah...
Nobody is going to say that.
If a coach came out and spoke against that well nobody will play for him because...ya know..kids need coddled today...
and good lord they're me,myself and I to the hilt so if a coach said otherwise the recruits would say he won't like it when I'm only worried about me myself and I.
I didn't question the kid not playing in the bowl game....
I came right out and called him out on it. Not for me...(doesn't mean **** all to me) however the team it does indeed bother me.
Football is a team sport. Last year the scoreboard didn't say Cincinnati 24 and Kyle Hamilton 13
Last I checked it's the collective efforts of 22 players plus special team members that make the ship sail or sink
Moreover...and perhaps you've never participated in team sports at a high level....any level....
But players around you make you better or worse in a team game.
His presence...aside from the collective team goal of victory...also helps others in perhaps their quest for a professional job.
A corner back perhaps gets more interceptions...
A lineman might get a few more sacks....
a linebacker might get more turnovers, picks or fumble recoveries...
all of which can help them achieve being drafted or a FA signee...drafted a round or two higher.. can mean a massive money difference for someone...
It's purely selfish in a team environment.
If you commit to playing then you see it through.
I don’t mean this sarcastically or too personally but you are very passionate about how someone else should behave, I wonder if people like you live by this high standard, and perform in your chosen field at the highest level … like whatever you do for a living are you a super successful stud and yet also the most selfless teammate? If you are good on you but seriously dude’s should live their own lives and let other people live theirs.
Jaylon Smith did what you wanted.
And that makes you happy.
Again, I’m not bothered that Kyle Hamilton chose his own physical well being when he was staring at a 16 million guaranteed contract, as a first round NFL Draft choice, not to mention the far more lucrative second contract in 4 years.
I wish Jaylon Smith would have made the same decision after his three seasons in South Bend.
