DAILY DOMER: STAN FORD

Speaking of San Diego-raised tight ends, Notre Dame signed a pair three years ago. One was Yeatman, and the other Konrad Reuland. The latter transferred about this time last season and now plays at Stanford. Because of Stanford's quarter-system, Reuland just became eligible earlier this week. He is not on the Cardinal's two-deep (or even three-deep) chart this week and I don't think he made this trip.

When asked if Reuland's presence with the Cardinal would force the Irish to change any calls or plays, Weis replied, "No, it doesn't change anything we do. He'll talk about some of our personnel, but we're a lot different now than when he was here."

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Asked about Marinelli's comments, Weis chuckled. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He elaborated that the comments never even made the team bulletin board. Nor did they need to. "This one got individual attention," Charlie said. "It didn't have to go to the bulletin board."

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About Luke Schmidt, the backup tight end, Weis said that he'd taken a mild hit during a special teams play at Michigan State and returned to the bench "groggy". When you get groggy off such a mild hit, Weis said, "that concerns us."

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My new standard for how tenacious any pass rush should be is David Letterman's barrage of quips directed at Sarah Palin on Friday night. Man, did he go off. When Dave's first guest, NBC News anchor Brian Williams, took his seat, Williams noted that he'd used Palin "as a pinata."

I like Brian. We're from the same hometown. His address these days? A bit nicer.

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This part's for Domers only. I ran into two old legends on campus yesterday. The first was Dr. Emil T. Hofman. I was riding the Winnie Cooper on campus, right in front of the Admin Building, on the God Quad. There he was, sitting on the same bench where he spends most afternoons.   

 So I went to say Hi and the next thing you know Emil and I were just two dudes with gray hair chatting on a bench together. Now here's the funny part. My first year out of college I was a volunteer high school chemistry teacher (as so many sportswriters are) at an Indian school in New Mexico. Well, one Monday I was not at school but Emil, who was by then semi-retired (mine was one of the last classes to endure his Chemistry 115 & 116 courses), was at the school as part of a goodwill mission.

When Emil learned that the day's chemistry class was canceled because the teacher (me) was not there, he snorted. "You never cancel chemistry class!" So Emil went in and taught my class.

Let me repeat that for all 35 years or so of Domers who endured those Friday morning exams: Emil T. Hofman substitute-taught my class.

Yesterday was my opportunity to inform him that it was I he'd stood in for. He chortled. "You!" he said. "You don't know how many times I've told that story. That was the last chemistry class I ever taught."

So I have that going for me, which is nice.

Later on Friday, at South Bend's oldest Italian restaurant, Sunny Italy, (our waitress Amanda was outstanding, by the way!), I ran into my old Dillon Hall rector, Fr. Joe Carey. He was known affectionately by us as "Cares". One of the gentlest, kindest men I've ever known. Cares is a father who actually is a great father figure.