Brandon Hoyte’s hits are hardly poetry in motion. They’re violent, they’re efficient and they’re helping the sophomore linebacker earn a reputation as Notre Dame’s

fiercest hitter. But while stanzas and rhyme schemes might not help you understand Hoyte on the field, it reveals something about him off it.

Hoyte, a pre-med major, spends time away from football crafting poetry. At last year’s sports banquet Hoyte offered a reading, expressing some of his thoughts he can’t always find a way to tell other people.

“It’s a way to express myself,” Hoyte said. “Sometimes I have a lot of things I keep to myself and that’s one way of me expressing that instead of me speaking to some one. It was just something real fun to do.”

But maybe not as fun as hitting. Other players love to hit, but Hoyte lives to. Last year he developed a reputation as a hitter after willingly squaring off with fullback Jason Murray while Hoyte was working with the scout team. The collisions impressed more than a few veterans, and his commitment to hitting has caught the eye of defensive coordinator Kent Baer.

“He’s very physical and has great quickness,” Baer said. “He’s got great tools and just has to learn what we’re doing. He’s a lot better player right now than he was last spring.”

Based on Notre Dame’s defensive drills, Hoyte has continued to improve. Hoyte has been running with the second team defense for much of the week, potentially jumping over senior Pat Ryan on the depth chart. While Hoyte won’t step over Courtney Watson and into the starting lineup, he’s beginning to earn the trust of the coaching staff as a reliable backup.

“I’m looking forward to getting action this year,” Hoyte said. “For me personally, my goal is to help the team win, whether that be back-up or starting, that’s for the coaches to decide.”

Hoyte figures to pitch in on special teams too, which is fine by the linebacker as long as he’s aiding the team. Hoyte’s combination of speed and power would seem to make him an ideal fit for the kickoff coverage unit. Linebackers coach Bob Simmons has told both Hoyte and fellow sophomore linebacker Corey Mays that they’ll have to be reliable on special teams to maximize their potential this season.

“They’re younger guys that will eventually be an integral part of this program, but at the same time there are ways they can help this team being on special teams,” Simmons said. “The one key word that I’ve told both of them is patience. Nobody likes to hear that P-word come out when you’re young. But as they continue to learn and become more confident, you’ll see their talent come to the forefront.”

Hoyte has already shown flashes of skill in Notre Dame’s fall camp during the team’s 11-on-11 drills. With the Irish putting on full pads for the first time Wednesday morning, you can bet that Hoyte’s impact will only be felt more and more throughout the month of August.

“I’m trying my best and if I happen to blow somebody up a little harder, that happens,” Hoyte said. “I hit to go through the guy and I know everyone else does. That’s what I do. I love to hit and that’s why I play the game, to have that feeling of the of the other guy succumbing to you.”