Oct. 15, 1999
by Bo Rottenborn
Just more than three years ago, Lee Lafayette came to Notre Dame hoping to make an impact on the football field from day one.
With preseason practice commencing, things were right on schedule. It appeared Lafayette could make a difference immediately in the Irish secondary. Then disaster struck.
One day in August of 1996 on a practice field at the Culver Academies, fate dealt a harsh blow to the Chicago native.
During a non-contact drill, Lafayette’s foot found what he would later call a “bad spot on the field.” According to Lafayette, he stepped on this spot and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, effectively destroying all preseason expectations. He underwent surgery on Sept. 6 and his freshman season was over.
The injury came at a particularly bad time for Lafayette, who was seemingly on top of the world after a brilliant offensive high school career at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Chicago.
Three years ago, Lee eagerly moved from the Fighting Irish of McNamara to another more well-known Fighting Irish football team, hoping to make a contribution But despite being recruited as a tailback, Lee was asked to switch to the defensive side of the ball.
“My first love is offense and I’m naturally an offensive player,” says the 5-9, 196-pound senior. “But, I had to make the switch here, so I’ve tried to make the best of it, using my abilities to play defense. I have grow into the role as a defensive player.”
The rehabilitation process from the injury was grueling for Lafayette, a native of Hopkins Park, Ill., although he completed it much quicker than expected.
“The whole experience went pretty well because I was used to working hard from high school,” says Lafayette. “It was long and it took me a little while to get my confidence back.
“My goal after the injury was to get back to where I was coming out of high school. I feel that I’m back there physically now and I feel I’m a lot stronger and better mentally as far as knowledge of the game.”
After many hours of hard work, Lee returned to the field for his sophomore season. In 1997, he played in every game, earning 85 special-team appearances.
“I felt like I should be a lot faster on my cuts during my sophomore year, but I still wasn’t back,” recalls the strongest member of Notre Dame’s defensive backfield. “It wasn’t until my junior year that I had confidence again in my leg.”
Last year saw Lafayette make 127 special-team appearances as well as see action at strong safety, earning more than 20 minutes of playing time. Lafayette’s first lengthy stint on defense came as a dime back against the pass-oriented offense of Stanford. Lafayette responded brilliantly, notching four tackles, including three unassisted stops.
In 1999, Lafayette has seen ample time on the field, matching his tackle tally from each of the past two seasons after just three contests this year with nine stops. After moving to left cornerback last spring, Lee got his first career start against Purdue earlier this season.
“Of course, it was a goal to eventually start here at Notre Dame,” says Lafayette. “I am happy to start, but now I want to win some games.”
Lafayette, who missed some practice time with a shoulder injury in the preseason, now continues his senior season with a great intensity.
“I’m fully back from the injury and ready to go,” Lafayette says, showing a strong desire to see those three-year old expectations finally fulfilled.
Lafayette enjoyed an outstanding high school career and wanting to stay close to home, he chose to attend Notre Dame, saying it has “everything you need as far as football and also academically.”
His success in high school started his sophomore year, as Lee was promoted to Bishop McNamara’s varsity squad after dazzling his coaches with game-breaking runs in his rookie season at the freshman level. He gained experience as a sophomore and was named an all-Chicago Catholic League selection.
As a junior, Lafayette’s Bishop McNamara squad boasted one of the top quarterbacks in the state, forcing the coaches to select a passing-style offense for much of the season. Nevertheless, Lafayette was still able to run for 1,680 yards and 24 touchdowns, garnering all-conference and all-area honors.
Finally, it was his turn to shine in 1995, as Lafayette ran for 1,819 yards and 28 touchdowns, earning the Tony Lawless Award as the Catholic League MVP. He was also an all-state selection and honorable mention all-American.
Lafayette finished his high school career with the school record for touchdowns in a game (5), season (28) and career (58). In addition to his athletic prowess, Lafayette excelled academically, graduating with a 4.17 grade point average.