Parris like Shark on the prowl
SOUTH BEND -- In the few still moments when Jeff Samardzija isn't wowing pro baseball scouts with his slider or his female fans with his shorter-but-still-flowing mane, he remembers what it was like to be fighting his way up a football depth chart.
And the Chicago Cubs' minor-league pitching sensation remembers to call Robby Parris.
"He's probably the most significant thing to happen to me in my career," Parris, a Notre Dame sophomore wide receiver, said of ND's recently graduated career leader at that position.
Just watching him every day, he'd make it look so easy. I'd just sit back -- and he didn't know it -- but I was taking notes. Any kind of route he'd do, I'd try to imitate it. We were cool on and off the field. He's a good friend. It's a little different without him this year. But I just take what I learned from him last year and try to adapt it to this year."
The 6-foot-3, 201-pound Parris is a slightly shorter, slightly svelter version of Jeff Samardzija. And if he walks in the former two-sport star's footsteps precisely, patience will be part of the equation.
Jeff Samardzija garnered a modest 24 catches combined over his first two seasons at Notre Dame before hauling in 155 over the last two. Then he walked away from the game to sign with the Cubs, rolling up a 1.80 ERA in major-league spring training and prompting at least one scout to gush to ESPN's Jayson Stark.
"Best arm I've seen," the scout said. "Ran his fastball up there in the upper 90s, with an excellent slider. He could pitch up here (in the majors) quick. In fact, they had to get him back to the minor leagues to keep (manager) Lou (Piniella) from taking him north."
Parris is not yet drawing parallel raves. In fact, the Cleveland St. Ignatius product is battling in a large-but-nondescript wide receiver pack behind junior David Grimes and sophomore George West.
"First of all, I don't ever like playing receivers that are afraid to block," ND head coach Charlie Weis said of what he is looking for foremost from the contenders to join the top of the wide receiver rotation. "You have to have heart to block."
And so far this spring, Parris' biggest struggle is?
Blocking. But it seems to be more a matter of muscle at this point than fortitude.
"It's a lot different than high school," Parris said. "The corners and safeties are a lot more physical. They're as strong as you are. And it's harder to get open when they're playing press coverage. But I keep working."
And Jeff Samardzija keeps encouraging, even if it is from a distance.
The one path Parris won't follow Jeff Samardzija down is the baseball one.
"No, no, I quit that when I was younger," he said with a laugh.
Parris has also put his flamboyance in escrow for the foreseeable future. He claims he has a lot of Jeff Samardzija's showmanship, but it's now buried deep inside of him.
"If I ever do anything significant, maybe I can start showing it," Parris said. "Right now, I'm just trying to keep that in check and get on the field first."
Yeatman update
Backup tight end Will Yeatman continues to be a dominant force as a freshman for the 13th-ranked Notre Dame men's lacrosse team.
Yeatman is the leading scorer for the Irish (5-3), who host Villanova today. He has 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 points. And despite the 6-foot-6, 260-pounder having to miss roughly half of his spring football practices, Weis is encouraged that the San Diego product can handle both sports.
"I thought he'd be a front-line (lacrosse) player coming in," Weis said. "That was what the anticipation was when he came here. I think it's working out nicely. He's not falling behind, and he's doing enough to stay in shape in football while he's helping the lacrosse team."
Gruden to speak at ND
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden, a Clay High product, will be the guest speaker at the Notre Dame Football Coaches Clinic, April 13-14. Gruden will speak the morning of the 14th. Pre-registration has been extended until Friday. Details are available at www.ndcoachesclinic.com or by calling (574) 631-8643.
Squibs
Irish senior linebacker Maurice Crum and fifth-year senior safety Tom Zbikowski are two of the 42 names on the 2007 Lott Trophy Watch List. The Lott Trophy is awarded to the nation's defensive impact player of the year.
Notre Dame sophomore quarterback Demetrius Jones had his barber shave an ND logo into the back of his head.
Weis on freshman running back Armando Allen: "I've been very encouraged by Armando. Armando has not looked like a freshman."
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