Paul Hornung, ND’ original “golden boy”, is the namesake for college football’s newest honor: “most versatile player” (a player that can help their team the most in a large variety of ways).

Hornung is one of college football’s all-time greats (think the original Rocket Ismail, plus he could throw, and play defense), the only player special enough to win the Heisman on a losing team, so his name belongs right up there with the Biletnikoffs and Nagurskis.

However, he might have even more fame for the statement “ND must lower admissions to get the black athlete and win”. Technically, he may be right on lowering admissions, he just made the mistake of using the qualifying term “black”. (That’s what we call racial profiling.)

So, occasionally in his honor, the Blarney will bring you Hornung’s Words of Wisdom, or technically true statements that are worded wrong, and perhaps show some prejudice or some kind of political incorrectness.

Paul Hornung’s Words of Wisdom For 4-26-11:

“Prima donnas are killing college football. Oh, except for the fact that the sport is more popular than it has ever been. The fact is more people want to watch the winning ways of electric prima donnas like Cam Newton than a “do things the right way” guy like Tim Jefferson (Who, you say? Exactly.). So next time you hear a talking head say a program “shouldn’t recruit a guy like Newton or Terrelle Pryor”, remember that it is not as easy as it sounds. They are prima donnas because of their immense talent, and ability to win. My point is this: controversy and schools being put on probation in college football are here to stay. Because prima donnas are going nowhere.”

The more I think about the chances of the Irish making a BCS run this season, the more I think that there is one player who will have more to say about it than any other…

Cierre Wood.

I know this is new age of football, where running back is no longer even close to the most important players on your team. With rule changes, and wide open offenses, quarterback is the most important position in sports. Tackles that protect a quarterback’s blind side or more important too (so that wide open offense can be run.) Ditto for dynamic pas rushers. You can check off versatile defensive backs that can help you take chances to create disruption on that list is well. Basically, the most important guys are the ones who keep high-flying offenses humming, or the guys that can ground high-flying offenses.

But…there is a caveat. A guy that is a playmaker can help you win. From any position. This is where Cierre Wood come into play. Even though running back is no longer en vogue, guys that can make plays with the ball in their hands are. Wood, with his explosiveness, and elusiveness, it that guy. Making plays with the ball in his hands=touchdowns. More touchdowns than the opposition=winning.

Wood’s importance is elevated further because the Irish quarterbacks, while gamers, cannot carry a team. Also, the Irish’s other playmakers (Floyd, and Riddick) must rely on either Crist or Rees to get them the ball. Wood? All you have to do is hand it to him. With an upgraded defense that should keep the Irish in every game, a big year from Wood should mean that the Irish are scoring enough points offensively as well to get them to the BCS.

Basically, if you start to see shirts like this pop up during Notre Dame games, the scoreboard will be nice to look at.

Yep, boner jokes could be in fashion this fall in South Bend. Got any good ones for Cierre?

Perhaps the biggest news to finish up the Irish Spring was the trio of commitments (two stud defensive backs, and one long snapper) secured, and how Brian Kelly continues to address major defensive needs (first, he went bigger and faster up front, now he is doing the same with the secondary). To go along with (already in the fold) top 100 corner Tee Shepard, Kelly secured verbals this past weekend from athletic safety Nicky Baratti, and speed demon top 100 corner Ronald Darby (the fastest 200 meter track guy in the nation, and possibly the nation’s fastest football player). (The Irish also got long snapper Scott Daly.)

All should fill a need, but the one I am most excited about is Darby. When you look at what he does in track, and hear things like “fastest Irish recruit since Rocket Ismail”, it’s impossible to not get excited (especially when you are used to the media always saying Notre Dame lacks speed). If he has any football instincts whatsoever, receivers beware!

Anyway, I was daydreaming at work, and started to think about Darby having speed like:

- Like how fast a stoner mentions “Big Lebowski” when talking about his favorite movies (Happy 420, stoners!)

-Like how fast baseball legend Cool Papa Bell hopped into bed (turned the light switch, and was all covered up before the lights actually went out).

-Like how fast I turn off a Kesha song.

-Like how fast Nick Saban takes a job after denying any interest at all.

-Like how fast pop culture forgot about Vanilla Ice.

-Like how fast Twitter ruins lives.

In other words, the guy is fast.