After subpar bowl, Samardzija now waits
College football behind him, Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija will now play the waiting game. How he fares in the coming NFL draft will help determine whether the Valparaiso native focuses on pitching in the Cubs' farm system or playing pro football.
Jeff Samardzija put together his second solid season, catching 78 passes for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns, but LSU limited him to eight catches for 59 yards in the Sugar Bowl.
The 6-5 senior NFL stock may have dropped a bit, especially measured against a bumper crop of talented D-I receivers. A good showing in the Senior Bowl would boost his status.
Jeff Samardzija was chosen first team All-American by the Football Writers Association for the second year in a row. He walks away with school career records of 2,534 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Freshman teammate James Aldridge (Merrillville) and kicker Carl Gioia (Valparaiso) will maintain Northwest Indiana's presence at Notre Dame next year.
Aldridge's playing time increased as the season went on. Most of his 142 yards in 37 carries came over the last six games. He averaged 3.8 yards.
Gioia connected on 8-of-13 field goals but missed a short first-half field goal in the 41-14 loss to LSU. He was 49-of-54 on extra points.
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