Oct. 26, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Everyday in practice we talk about the rules. We go through the paper and cut out examples of incidents at other schools and read those clips to the players to show them how quick things can happen.
Part of the responsibility of a head coach is to make your players aware of these situations and discuss their consequences. This responsibility also extends to our assistant coaches. Following the season each of our coaches has a performance review, partly based on how they handle off-field issues with their position players.
Everyone is sympathetic towards Tony Driver. We are going to miss Tony because he is such a physical and versatile player. Tony is very productive on special teams, which doesn’t always get noticed. With Tony out, it is an opportunity for another guy to step up and produce. While we will miss him, the suspension does not affect the team as much as it affects Tony.
I have been very impressed with the manner in which Tony has handled things and his comments regarding this situation. He realizes he broke a rule and must face the consequences. I think what is important at this time is not why it happened, but how Tony responds and learns from this.
I know Tony Driver is a good person and I think everyone will realize that by listening to his comments. He made a mistake and you learn from your mistakes, it’s all a part of maturing as a person.
Tony’s suspension sends the same message that has always been sent. You do not need an example like this to make any player realize the seriousness of the rules. All of our players understand, through our communication with them and from just being a student at Notre Dame, how seriously the DuLac rules are treated.
When you are the head coach you can only focus on your program, because that is the only one you can control and it is a full time job. Comparing your situation and your team to others will only distract you from the real issue. Notre Dame will always set high standards, as they should. All of our players live on campus and all of our players follow the same rules that the rest of the student body must follow. It does us no good to compare ourselves to other schools because we are unique.
When I talk to recruits, I tell them exactly how it is at Notre Dame. They will live on campus and will probably stay there all four years. I also explain to them that we have a lot of rules they must comply with, but once they graduate from Notre Dame they will benefit from having experienced it. People will realize what it takes to go to school and play football at Notre Dame and to ultimately graduate from Notre Dame. You cannot have it both ways. There have to be rules and structure here to make it different and I sell that to them. They have to understand coming in that it won’t be easy, but it is all worth it.
As for right now, Tony is going to continue to go to school on scholarship. The fact that football has been taken away stings him right now. I know Tony Driver, and he will use this time wisely and he will come back a stronger person.
Tony must first appeal the Student Affairs decision in order to be reinstated in the spring. As long as he handles his business and takes care of this opportunity, it should be okay.