Maurice Crum Jr.
Linebacker |
Complete Bio
Classroom: Maurice Crum Jr. followed in the footsteps of 98.7 percent of football players at Notre Dame since 1962 and became another scholarship player to earn his degree. Crum graduated in four years in good academic standing with a degree in sociology and is currently enrolled in the graduate studies program at Notre Dame. Crum was in good academic standing all four years of his undergraduate career and chose to enter the graduate studies program at Notre Dame and return for his fifth year as opposed to enter the NFL draft and begin his professional career.
Character: The character of Maurice Crum Jr. can best be quantified by the fact he was elected team captain of the Notre Dame football team as a senior and again as a fifth-year senior. Crum became just the 17th two-time captain in the 120-year history of Fighting Irish football. As one of just three fifth-year seniors on the team, it was virtually a given that Crum would be selected team captain for the second straight season. Perhaps the bigger honor came in 2007 when he was one of five captains on the football team but the only captain who was not a fifth-year senior.
Community: From June 10th-18th, Maurice Crum Jr. traveled with eight other people to Ghana to help establish a new computer lab and library at an orphanage in the town of Koforidua about 2.5 hours outside the capital city of Accra. He was part of the team that helped deliver 14 computers, two printers and an LCD projector into an air-conditioned computer lab with seating for 24 students. The group also presented the orphanage with approximately 2,000 donated books in the new library that had seating for 16 students.
Competition: On the field, Maurice Crum Jr. has won three monograms and enters the 2008 season with 241 career tackles, needing 54 stops to enter Notre Dame's top-ten list for career tackles. He is on pace to pass former teammate Tom Zbikowski who sits eighth all-time with 300 career tackles. He has started every game during his career and holds the team's longest active streak for both consecutive games played and started at 37. Crum was named an honorable mention All-American in the 2008 preseason by The Sporting News and was selected to the preseason watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Award and Lott Trophy.
Complete Bio
Classroom: With a 3.46 GPA, Besler plans to graduate with a degree in psychology. In 2007, he was named NSCAA Scholar All-American, Big East Academic All-Star, and is a member of the Academic Honors Program for Student-Athletes at Notre Dame.
Character: As voted by his teammates, Besler is a two-time team captain. Earning the respect of his teammates, he was tri-captain going into his junior year and now going into his senior year, leads the Fighting Irish to a great season.
Community: During the summer, Besler is a camp counselor at the local high school basketball camp, and he is a volunteer speaker and ambassador for JAG mentoring program. Along with his teammates, Besler helps with activity days for disabled children around the South Bend area.
Competition: Besler has started 52 of 69 games played in his career at Notre Dame. In 2007, he was selected to the All-Big East Second Team, and All-Great Lakes Region Second Team. According to Soccer America and College Soccer News, Besler earned Preseason All-American Second Team in 2008.
Complete Bio
Classroom: Hanks graduated one semester early in May 2008 from Notre Dame's College of Arts and Letters with her bachelor's degree in sociology and a 3.12 cumulative grade point average and is beginning graduate studies at Notre Dame this fall.
Character: With teams turning even more attention to her in 2007 (as the defending Hermann Trophy recipient), Hanks quickly shifted her offensive focus to one of a playmaker on the front line, setting up her teammates to the tune of an NCAA-leading 21 assists and helping Notre Dame to its 9th NCAA College Cup national semifinal appearance in the past 14 seasons (and 3rd in 4 years) ... her unselfish play also sparked a 17-game unbeaten string (16-0-1) for the Irish during the final 2 months of the season, a string that included 3 wins over Top 25 opponents and the BIG EAST regular-season title.
Community: Kerri takes an active role in the numerous charity works performed by the Notre Dame women's soccer team, including the ND Pediatric Christmas Party, Christmas in April (similar to Habitat for Humanity), reading at local grade schools and frequent youth soccer clinics. Hanks and her teammates also earned the 2006-07 Trophy Award from the Notre Dame department of athletics, an award given annually to the Fighting Irish athletics team that leads the way in community service.
Competition: Hanks is widely considered one of the nation's premier players. She is a candidate for the 2008 Hermann Trophy and a preseason All-America selection by Soccer America. Hanks was unanimously chosen to the 2008 All-BIG EAST Preseason Team and is a 3-time All-American (2-time first-team selection). Kerri was the 2006 Hermann Trophy recipient presented to the premier player in collegiate women's soccer. She is also a 3-time first-team all-BIG EAST (including 2006 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year) and holds more than 60 records at Notre Dame. Kerri enters her senior season with 64 goals and 58 assists, putting her on verge of becoming 6th NCAA Division I player to record 60 goals and 60 assists in her career -- she could also be the 3rd D-I player ever to post 70G-70A in her career, joining the legendary Mia Hamm (North Carolina) and Notre Dame's own Jenny Streiffer. In addition, Hanks has led nation in assists the past 2 years and in goals and assists in 2006, joining Hamm as the only players ever to pull off that feat.
Brittany Bock
Forward/Midfielder |
Complete Bio
Classroom: In 2007, Bock was selected CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Third-Team Academic All-American. Earning a spot on the spring 2008 dean's list, Bock holds a 3.365 GPA in marketing at Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.
Character: Voted by her teammates, Bock was selected as team co-captain.
Community: The Notre Dame department of athletics awarded Bock and her teammates the 2006-07 Trophy Award that is presented annually to the Fighting Irish team that takes community service above and beyond. Such projects include: Notre Dame's Pediatric Christmas Party, Habitat for Humanity, and coordinating regular youth clinics.
Competition: Brittany is no stranger to the Hermann Trophy Award. In 2007, she was one of 15 semifinalists up for the award and again in 2008 she appears on the Hermann Trophy Watch List. Soccer America recognized her as a pre-season All-American and BIG EAST Pre-season Offensive Player of the Year for 2008. She was also a member of United States U-21 National Team player pool.
