NOTRE DAME, IN (UHND.com) – At Tuesday’s press conference, head coach Charlie Weis told the media about one of his players coming to his office Monday morning at 5:30 AM telling Weis he couldn’t sleep and asking the coach what he could do to be a better leader for this team. Weis wouldn’t reveal the identity of that player at the time, but later in the day Sam Young admitted it was him during the media interviews.
On a team with a depth chart chock full of freshmen and sophomores, it’s apparent that the Irish will be searching for leaders next year and Young taking the initiative to ask Weis what he can do is a very encouraging sign for the future of this team.
“He wants to talk to me so he knocks on my door,” Weis said on Tuesday. “I thought we had another person that was looking to pack his bags and go.”
To Weis’s surprise and delight, that wasn’t the case at all. “He said he hasn’t slept all night. He’s an under classman. He hadn’t slept all night and he felt he needed to step up and take on more of a leadership role, and he was asking for some advice on how to do that.”
When asked why he went to coach Weis like he did, Young told reporters, “I just want the team to do well,” Young said. “Whatever position I need to be in, I want to fill it.”
While this season is a lost cause in terms of wins and losses, if the Irish can find a couple play makers and a few leaders in these last two games, at least there will be something for Weis and his staff to build on heading into the 2008 season.
With the Irish sitting at 1-9, it would be very easy for a former five star recruit like Young to question being at Notre Dame like a few of his classmates – see Matt Carufel, Konrad Reuland, Demetrius Jones, and Zach Frazer – have already done. Instead, Young, a two year starter on the offensive line now, is looking to take on a leadership role and that is very encouraging.
Next year’s offensive will feature very few, if any seniors in the starting lineup which makes getting some leadership from the junior class pivotal. Young will be the most veteran offensive player next year with 25 starts under his belt by the time the San Diego State game kicks off which would make him a leader by default. Starting 25 games in two years doesn’t automatically equate to being a great leader though and that is what makes Young’s actions this week already speak volumes for the leadership capabilities he has.
“That’s the type of guys you want on your team, guys that aren’t sleeping because they’re worrying about how they can — he’s a regular player, but how they can step up and take on more of a leadership role,” said Weis later during Tuesday’s presser.
Young has taken the first step into assuming that leadership role most of the offensive linemen will be looking for him to assume next year with the graduation of John Sullivan. The next step will be get his attitude to wear off on the other players. Notre Dame needs more players up till 5:30 AM after a loss to get this thing turned around.
When asked Thursday if it surprised Weis that Young was the player to show up at his door to ask such as question he responded, “I was a little surprised because when you have a domineering player with your offensive line like Sully is, such a strong leader, you really don’t know what you have with some of those guys.” He would add, “They understand the pecking order and don’t want to try and step above someone. So it was really encouraging and refreshing to see something like that.”
A couple more early morning visitors to Weis’s office would do this team well, but for now let’s just be glad that appears that Notre Dame’s man child left tackle its maturing on and off the field. Right now, that’s a good start towards reversing this horrible season in 2008.
