Weis Confirms Luke Schmidt’s Career Over

Charlie Weis confirmed on Friday what many have speculated on the internet for the last few months - senior to be fullback Luke Schmidt’s football career is over.

I put Luke Schmidt on medical because of recurring concussions. I just felt Luke and I and his parents, we all met and felt it would be in his best interest if he moved on and didn’t play any more football, because it was getting to be too risky with the number of concussions that he was having.

It’s a shame Schmidt’s career has ended the way it has.  He had a lot of potential and could have provided some playmaking ability from the fullback position - something this team has been lacking since Rashon Powers-Neal got kicked off the team in 2005.

Schmidt’s departure from the team means Notre Dame will head into 2009 with just Steve Paskorz at fullback.  With the emergence of Armando Allen as the #1 back along with a trio of young, talented backs in sophomore Jonas Gray and freshmen Ceirre Wood and Theo Riddick to go along with senior James Aldridge, I wouldn’t be surprised if the staff at least gave Robert Hughes a look at fullback this spring or at the very least explored the option of a two back set with Hughes and Allen.