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Tom Lopienski |
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AS A SENIOR: Top-rated fullback for Notre Dame in 2001…made 16 special teams appearances vs. Nebraska. . .recorded one catch, a 17-yard reception, vs. Michigan State. . .recorded first kickoff return of career for 11 yards vs. Boston College…recorded a career-high rush for 33 yards vs. Navy…ranked 12th nationally among fullbacks by The Sporting News.
AS A JUNIOR: Starting fullback for Notre Dame in 2000, sharing playing time
with
Jason Murray . . . played in all 12 games, earning starting nods vs. Texas
A&M, Nebraska, Purdue, Boston College, Rutgers and vs. Oregon State in
2001
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl . . . had two carries for nine yards and two
receptions for 34 yards vs. Texas A&M . . . did not start against Michigan
State as Irish opened in two-tight end set . . . played only on special
teams vs. Stanford due to shoulder nerve injury . . . had 13-yard
reception
vs. West Virginia . . . scored first career touchdown on 25-yard reception
from Nick Setta on fake field goal vs. Rutgers to give Irish 14-3 lead .
.
. had one rushing attempt for no yards in 2001 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl vs.
Oregon State.
AS A SOPHOMORE: Played in first career game vs. Kansas in
'99,
while sharing load at fullback with veteran Joey Goodspeed . . . caught
first two career passes for six yards against Michigan State . . . made
first career start vs. Oklahoma and had career-high 16 yards rushing as
well as longest carry of career (12 yards) . . . also started vs. Arizona
State, USC and Pittsburgh . . . finished second on team in special-team
appearances (164) . . . played in all 12 games overall . . . rushed four
times for 34 yards in '99 Blue-Gold spring finale, including 29-yard
touchdown gain that was longest of the day plus another one-yard scoring
run.
AS A FRESHMAN: Did not see game action as rookie fullback in '98.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Parade prep All-American . . . rated 74th best
player nationally by The Sporting News and 95th best player by Chicago
Sun-Times . . . rated one of top 100 players nationally by Dallas Morning
News . . . rushed 143 times for 676 yards and 15 touchdowns, caught five
passes for 52 yards and punted for 40-yard average as senior at Walsh
Jesuit High School in Stow, Ohio, while helping team to 9-3 mark . . .
played solely at tailback as a junior at Walsh Jesuit, rushing for 573
yards on 133 carries and scoring seven TDs . . . captain of team and MVP
as
senior . . . caught five passes for 57 yards and two TDs and averaged 38
yards per punt as junior . . . played defensive back as sophomore at
Columbus DeSales High School . . . selected for Ohio North-South all-star
game . . . also played basketball and ran 100 and 200 meters and threw the
shot in track . . . earned two letters in basketball and two more in track
. . . father Tom was Irish cornerback from 1972-75 and was starter as
senior in '75 when he tied for team lead in interceptions (with
All-American Luther Bradley) with four each . . . sister Sarah graduated
from Notre Dame in 2000 and was a member of Irish track and field team who
earned monograms in '97 and '98 running 60, 200, 400 and 500 meters
(indoors) and 400-meter hurdles . . . from same high school as early 1980s
Irish kicker Hal Von Wyl and recent Ohio State All-American Mike Vrabel .
. . originally committed to Irish in March of '97 . . . full name is
Thomas
Joseph Lopienski . . . younger of two children . . . born 6-12-79 in
Parkersburg, W.Va. . . . earned 3.25 grade-point average during 2000
spring semester . . . had Dean's List effort of 3.583 in 2000 fall
semester
and followed that with 3.5 Dean's List effort in 2001 spring semester . .
.
enrolled in College of Arts and Letters with major in film, television and
theatre.
| | G-GS | TC | Yds. | Avg. | LG | Rec | Yds | LG | TD | KR | YDS |
| 1999 | 11-4 | 25 | 76 | 3.0 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 11-5 | 9 | 18 | 2.0 | 7 | 5 | 79 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 11-9 | 10 | 63 | 6.3 | 33 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| TOTAL | 33-18 | 44 | 157 | 3.6 | 33 | 10 | 109 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
Lopienski Game By Game
1999
| Game | TC | Yds. | TD | Rec. | Yds. | TD |
| Kansas | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Purdue | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan State | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| *Oklahoma | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Arizona State | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *USC | 5 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Navy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Pittsburgh | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boston College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2000
| Game | TC | Yds. | TD | Rec. | Yds. | TD |
| *Texas A&M | 2 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 0 |
| *Nebraska | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Purdue | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Michigan State | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Navy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Air Force | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Boston College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Rutgers | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 1 |
| USC | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 Tostitos Fiesta
Bowl |
| *Oregon State | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2001
| Game | TC | Yds. | TD | Rec. | Yds. | TD |
| Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| *Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| *Texas A&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Pittsburgh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *West Virginia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *USC | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Boston College | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 1 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Navy | 2 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Stanford | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Purdue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* games started
