To get you mentally and physically prepared for the following article, please enjoy a little Stones, a little Shelter and a little Samardzija. (see video below)
If JJ Redick was the most hated collegiate basketball player in the country during his time at Duke, then Jeff "The Shark" Samardzija filled that role for big-time college football for two years with the Fighting Irish. Like Redick, Samardzija went down in his school's record books as the best to play his position (or in Redick's case the most productive player ever), no easy task when you consider the company they were in (Tim Brown, 1987 Heisman Winner, and Raghib Ismail, 1990 Heisman runner-up (lost out to BYU's Detmer), their combined stats can't hold a candle to Samardzija's). Like Redick, Samardzija played for the most polarizing and demonized school in the country for their respective sport (two schools we all probably secretly wished we could have attended if we were smart enough). Like Redick, Samardzija was the most loathed player on his team by opposing fans and players everywhere he traveled. Like Redick, Samardzija was brash, arrogant, cocky and causasian. But unlike JJ Redick, Samardzija was an All-American in 2 NCAA sports, and unlike Redick, he broke every major record at his school after starting for only 2 seasons; it took Redick all 4.
For the purposes of this article I will mainly focus on Samardzija the football player.
Besides catching bundles of Brady Quinn's bullets, Samardzija also caught 2 huge breaks at Notre Dame. First, after riding the pine during his freshman and sophmore seasons in South Bend, Tyrone Willingham, the coach that recruited him out of Valparaiso High School in Northwest Indiana, was shown the door, and Charlie Weis, equipped with his beer belly, bravado and insanely effective passing attack was given the keys to one of the most sought-after coaching positions in all of sports. Second, Rhema McKnight, a senior, and the Irish #1 go-to receiver, got his knee blown up early in the 2005 season, which allowed Samardzija to finally crack the starting lineup alongside Maurice Stovall to become the #2 receiver on the depth chart. No one could have expected what would ensue, not even Samardzija.
After only 2 full seasons with the Irish, Samardzija held the Notre Dame record for Career Touchdown Receptions (27), Touchdown Receptions for a Season (15 in 2005), Career Receptions (179) and Receptions for a Season (78 in 2006 and 77 in 2005). Although he had a better statistical year in 2005, when he was a relative unknown to defenses, he wasn't a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award until 2006 when he lost out to Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson. Samardzija was an unanimous All-American in every major poll both of the seasons he started for the Irish.
In 2006 (ND pre-season #2), when the Irish were seemingly at the brink of extinction late in every game, Samardzija was the guy who always made a play. They were down more than 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter to Michigan State when Samardzija sparked an unforgettable rally. They needed to go 80 yards in under a minute against UCLA, when Quinn hooked up with Samardzija on a 45 yard touchdown strike with 27 seconds left on the clock. (see videos below)
But here's something maybe you didn't know, his mother never got to see any of it. Samardzija was 16 when his mother died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. The disease came on quick and sudden, and left a husband and two boys, Jeff being the youngest, in her wake; left behind to pick up the pieces.
For whatever reason, I always loved watching Samardzija play, but I guess I loved watching JJ play as well. I'm the kind of guy that likes witnessing people do great things in sports. I would love it if Kobe got six or seven rings, or Brady won two or three more Super Bowls. Whereas most people resent cockiness and bravado in sports, I encourage it. Now I'm not talking a Blount fist to a Boise face kind of attitude, but I am talking Samardzija getting in the face and saying some choice words to a LSU or USC defender on the way back to the huddle, or offering a taunt or two to a helpless Stanford DB chasing him into the endzone. I think it gives players an edge, and I love it when those guys perform game in and game out.
Now I played a little college ball at Valparaiso University (4 career tackles, All-Conference performer (academic), Samardzija's high school squad would have probably dropped a 70 spot on us by halftime) and I can say with confidence that next to Orville Redenbacher (popcorn) and Bryce Drew (Valpo 1998 Sweet 16), The Shark has been the best thing to come out of this one-horse town. And the man has given back. He's pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into the high school's football program, and its weight-lifting facilities, and even got his sponsor, Under Armor to sponsor the team.
I'm still holding out a little hope that #83 suits up for the Bears one day. The man just has it when he's in pads. He was one of the most watchable, exciting and fun WRs I've ever had the pleasure to witness in college football, hands up, hands down.
This is Little Boy Blue and I'm 6'2 soaking wet, Peace and Prosperity-
I welcome any and all comments or emails. (I've added one extra video below. The 2005 ND-USC game was the best I've ever seen in my life! enjoy!)
