For years, we have listened to Lou Holtz poormouth his Notre Dame teams.
Overmatched, he said. Not talented enough, he said. Not motivated enough, he said.Lou, consider this: The vote for the NFL's rookie of the year could look like it has been rigged by Irish fans. There are four legitimate candidates from Notre Dame, led by the Los Angeles Rams' Jerome Bettis. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Rick Mirer, and running back Reggie Brooks and cornerback Tom Carter, both of the Washington Redskins, all also played at Notre Dame last year.
Carter and Brooks have been two of the bright spots in a dismal year for the 3-10 Redskins. Carter has six interceptions, the second most in the NFC. Brooks has had runs of 85 and 78 yards, two of the five longest rushes from scrimmage this season.
Mirer has a chance to become the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards. Like all rookies, he has risen and fallen like a thermometer, but he has been hot more than cold.
And then there's Bettis. On Dec. 12, he ran through New Orleans' once-vaunted defense for 212 yards. It was only the eighth time in league history that a rookie has rushed for more than 200 yards in a game. He followed that performance with a 124-yard game Sunday against the Bengals to push his NFL-leading total to 1,227 yards.