Feb. 5, 1997
1997 Notre Dame Football Letter-of-Intent Signee Bios
* Dansby, Kevin, LB, 6-2, 210, Birmingham, AL (Ensley) -- USA Today
honorable mention All-America pick . . . had 171 tackles, six sacks and
three interceptions as senior in '96 to break brother Melvin's school
record of 163 . . . made 161 tackles, 91 solo, in '95 while also
recovering five fumbles, causing four fumbles and intercepting one pass
. . . has run 48.6 in 400 meters . . . played defensive end as
sophomore, middle linebacker as junior . . . named to Super Southern 100
by Atlanta Journal-Constitution . . . younger brother of Irish senior
defensive end Melvin Dansby . . .
* Denman, Anthony, RB/LB, 6-3, 205, Rusk, TX (Rusk) -- rushed for 1,250
yards and 12 TDs as senior in '96 . . . accounted for 85 tackles, one
sack and six quarterback pressures on defense in '96 . . . rushed for
1,428 yards and 20 TDs as junior in '95 . . . all-area selection as
junior . . .
* Driver Tony, TB, 6-3, 205, Louisville, KY (Male) -- Parade and
first-team USA Today prep All-American . . . ranked as fifth best
prospect nationally by Chicago Sun-Times . . . ranked as 34th best
offensive player nationally by The Sporting News . . . named Gatorade
player of the year in Kentucky . . . named to Atlanta
Journal-Constitition Super Southern 100 . . . rushed 267 times for 1,491
yards and 18 TDs as senior in '96 . . . caught 25 passes for 467 yards
and fiver TDs . . . career totals included 538 carries for 3,460 yards
and 48 TDs and 82 receptions for 1,612 yards and 22 TDs . . . won state
title in 100 meters as junior . . . started at defensive back as a
freshman on team that won state title, then played both tailback and
wide receiver as sophomore . . .
* Getherall, Joey, WR, 5-9, 165, LaPuente, CA (Bishop Amat) -- caught 48
passes for 1,162 yards and 12 TDs as senior in '96 while also rushing
seven times for 125 yards . . . led state of California with
24.2-yards-per-catch average among receivers with 40 or more receptions
. . . averaged 31.8 yards on kickoff returns (19 for 605) and 21.3 yards
(13 for 277) on punt returns in '96 . . . had 2,166 all-purpose yards in
'96, averaging 25.18 yards each time he touched the football . . .
caught 42 passes for 848 yards and six TDs as junior in '95 . . . ran
two kickoffs back for TDs in '95 . . . career totals included 116
catches for 2,420 yards and 25 TDs . . . also played defensive back . .
. captain of '96 team that finished 8-4 and advanced to first round of
state playoffs . . . was timed in 4.23 in 40 prior to senior season . .
. hit .407 in baseball and stole 20 bases as junior . . . former prep
teammate of starting Irish OLB Kory Minor . . .
* Holloway, Jabari, TE, 6-4, 235, Tyrone, GA (Sandy Creek) -- USA Today
honorable mention All-America pick . . . named to Super Southern 100 and
to Georgia Top 50 lists by Atlanta Journal-Constitution . . . rated 27th
nationally among defensive prospects by The Sporting News . . . ranked
as 39th best prospect nationally by Chicago Sun-Times . . . caught 24
passes for 498 yards as senior in '96 . . . made more than 200 tackles
as outside linebacker as senior in '96, including 114 solos, 95 assists
and seven sacks . . . caught 12 passes for 250 yards and one TD as
junior in '95 and also had 83 tackles and 11 sacks . . . blocked six
field goals and ran two of them back for TDs as junior . . . boasts 4.0
grade-point average . . .
* Holmes, Hugh, LB, 6-2, 210, Kissimmee, FL (Osceola) -- made 136
tackles as senior in '96 . . . all-state selection and Florida District
6 player of the year as senior . . . made 127 tackles, 10 sacks as
junior in '95 . . . career totals included 169 solos, 249 assists . . .
* Irons, Grant, LB, 6-5, 225, The Woodlands, TX (The Woodlands) -- USA
Today first-team All-American . . .received national Dial
Scholar-Athlete Award thanks to 3.87 grade-point average, as top male
scholar-athlete in the country . . . rated 39th nationally among
defensive prospects by The Sporting News . . . ranked as 15th best
prospect nationally by Chicago Sun-Times . . . made 92 tackles, 58 of
them solos, as senior in '96, plus 12 tackles for losses, six passes
broken up and two fumble recoveries, despite missing two and a half
games with knee injury . . . brother of former Michigan All-America
linebacker Jarrett Irons, who was a senior in '96 . . . several members
of his family live in Gary, Ind.
* Israel, Ron, DB, 6-1, 175, Haddon Heights, NJ (Haddon Heights) -- USA
Today honorable mention All-America selection . . . two-way, four-year
starter . . . made 104 tackles and eight interceptions as senior free
safety in '96 . . . caught 10 TD passes and had 1,004 yards of total
offense in '96 .. helped team to 6-3 record in '96 as school finished
with winning record three straight years for first time in 26 seasons .
. . finished seventh in state 400 meters as junior . . . brother Steve
is defensive back with San Francisco 49ers after playing at Pittsburgh,
while another brother Tim played at Temple . . .
* Jordan, John, OL, 6-0, 260, Brooklyn, NY (Andover Prep) -- attended
Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., in '96-97 after graduating from
Brooklyn Poly Prep last spring . . . also played tight end and defensive
line . . . earned team MVP honors and all-New England honors in '96 . .
. made 50 tackles with eight sacks as junior . . .also played baseball
and basketball . . . father is Notre Dame graduate.
* Kustok, Zak, QB, 6-2, 190, Orland Park, IL (Sandburg) -- Ranked as
97th best prospect nationally by Chicago Sun-Times . . . threw for more
than 900 yards and seven TDs in injury-plagued senior season in '96
while completing 48 percent of passes despite inexperienced offensive
line and commitment of his top receiver to play basketball fulltime . .
. rushed for 450 yards and six TDs as well in '96 . . . left-handed
signalcaller committed to Notre Dame in April '96.
* Levy, Darcey, RB, 6-2, 195, Denver, CO (Montbello) -- rushed for 1,453
yards and 27 TDs as senior in '96 . . . also played free safety, making
more than 50 tackles and two interceptions . . . also capable of playing
wide receiver . . .
* Murray, Jason, RB, 6-2, 235, Belle Vernon, PA (Belle Vernon) -- USA
Today honorable mention All-America pick . . . rushed for 1,692 yards
and 20 TDs on 202 carries as senior in '96 on 12-1 team . . . helped
team to Pennsylvania Class 3A state title in '95 while carrying 220
times for 2,035 yards and 19 TDs . . . began sophomore season as
offensive guard, didn't start as tailback until fifth game but still
finished with 1,020 rushing yards in '94 . . . finished with nearly
5,000 career rushing yards . . .
* Rego, Cooper, TB, 5-9, 185, Montvale, NJ (St. Joseph) -- Parade prep
All-America selection . . . USA Today second-team All-America pick . . .
Gatorade player of the year in New Jersey . . . ranked 20th nationally
among offensive prospects by The Sporting News . . . ranked as 16th best
prospect nationally by Chicago Sun-Times . . . named to all-New Jersey
team by Newark Star-Ledger . . . rushed for 2,442 yards and 35 TDs and
244 points as senior in '96 . . . carried 43 times for 453 yards and
five TDs in Oct. 4 44-29 win over Paramus Catholic . . . ran 31 times
for 285 yards and five TDs in 36-20 win over Delbarton for New Jersey
group 3 Catholic title at Giants Stadium . . . led state in scoring as
senior . . . rushed for 1,645 yards and 21 TDs as a junior . . . also
played defensive back . . . ran 10.6 100 meters in summer prior to
junior year . .
* Robin, Casey, OL, 6-7, 270, Covington, LA (St. Paul's) -- played both
ways as sophomore and junior but played strictly on offense as senior in
'96 . . . captain of team as senior . . . all-district pick in '96 as
team's outstanding lineman . . . helped team to 6-4 mark in '96 with
average of 300 rushing yards per game . . .
* Smith, Justin, WR, 6-1, 185, St. Petersburg, FL (Lakewood) -- caught
18 passes for 460 yards and six TDs as senior in '96 . . . caught 11
passes for 333 yards in '95 . . . made five interceptions as a defensive
back in '95 . . . an honorable mention pick on Florida Class 5A
all-state team in '96 . . . also returned punts, averaging 38 yards per
runback as a junior . . .
* Teasdale, John, TE, 6-4, 255, Kansas City, MO (Rockhurst) -- Honorable
mention USA Today prep All-America pick . . .first-team all-state as
senior . . . caught 13 passes for 204 yards and two TDs as tight end in
'96 . . . made 31 tackles, eight sacks amd blocked two punts as
defensive end in '96 . . . could play anywhere on offensive line,
possibly on defense . . . from same high school that produced former
Irish offensive linemen Tim Ryan and Mike McGlinn . . .
* Vollers, Kurt, OL, 6-7, 275, Anaheim, CA (Servite) -- USA Today
honorable mention All-American . . . rated one of top 27 high school
seniors in '96 by Football News . . . rated 38th nationally among
offensive prospects by The Sporting News . . . ranked as 25th best
prospect nationally by Chicago Sun-Times . . . made 100 solo tackles, 32
assists and 24 sacks on defense in '96 . . . played mainly on defense as
senior but can play on either side of the line . . . committed to Notre
Dame in September '96 . . .
* Williams, Brock, DB, 5-11, 175, Hammond, LA (Hammond) -- named to
Super Southern 100 by Atlanta Journal-Constitution . . . had 102 tackles
and five interceptions as senior, with 15 deflections . . . had 55
tackles and five interceptions in '95 as junior . . . chosen district
MVP by coaches as senior while playing running back and returning kicks
as well . . . brother Jimmy played at Southern at cornerback and played
in East-West Shrine Classic . . . has run 100 meters in 10.9 . . .
* Wisne, Andy, DL, 6-5, 255, Jenks, OK (Jenks) -- had 97 tackles, six
sacks as senior defensive tackle in '96 . . . helped Jenks to 13-1
record and Oklahoma 6-A state title in '96 . . . first-team all-state in
'96 while helping team permit only 433 rushing yards all season on 386
attempts . . . made 85 tackles, 20 for losses, with five sacks as junior
in '95 . . . brother Jerry is junior offensive guard for Irish and
father Gerard also played for Irish . . . brother-in-law is current
graduate student at Notre Dame . . .
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