GOOD CALL BY CLAUSEN.Byline: RAMONA SHELBURNE Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. LOCAL Jimmy Clausen James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen (born September 21, 1987, in Thousand Oaks, California[3]) is an American football player. He is a quarterback at the University of Notre Dame. didn't get overwhelmed by the dog-and-pony show dog-and-po·ny show n. Slang An elaborate presentation orchestrated to gain approval, as for a policy or product. [From the razzle-dazzle of trained animal acts at circuses.] Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame put on for him and the rest of the high school All-Americans it invited on unofficial visits this weekend in conjunction with its annual Blue and Gold spring scrimmage. He didn't hear anything from Heisman Trophy Heisman Trophy Annual award given to the outstanding college gridiron football player in the U.S. The trophy was instituted in 1935 by New York City's Downtown Athletic Club and was officially named the following year for the club's first athletic director, the player-coach winner Tim Brown Timothy Donell Brown (born July 22, 1966) is a retired wide receiver, who played in the National Football League. He spent sixteen years with the Oakland Raiders, during which he established himself as one of the League's most prolific wide receivers. at a luncheon Friday, or fall at the feet of Super Bowl winner Jerome Bettis, who was invited back to his alma mater this weekend to underscore the Irish's proud tradition. No, Clausen already had all the information he needed and he played this one as coolly as he does quarterback, with a quick, accurate read. At Notre Dame, the Oaks Christian of Westlake Village standout will be the heir apparent heir apparent n. the person who is expected to receive a share of the estate of a family member if he/she lives longer, or is not specifically disinherited by will. (See: heir) to junior All-American quarterback Brady Quinn. At USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. , two quarterbacks with similarly impressive credentials stand in the way. "A lot of it is timing. 'SC has obviously already got (junior) John David Booty John David Booty (born January 3, 1985, in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.) is the starting quarterback of the University of Southern California (USC) football team. He is called "John David", and sometimes referred to as J.D., because his father's name is John. , (redshirt freshman) Mark Sanchez and (incoming freshman) Garrett Green. That's a lot of quarterbacks," said Sean Wiser, Clausen's friend since middle school and a wide receiver at Oaks Christian. "Jimmy's coming to Notre Dame at the exact right time." The opportunity to work with Fighting Irish head coach Charlie Weis, who is loaded with impressive NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga credentials, was a big factor. But it probably was more of a reason the Irish became a finalist for Clausen, the No. 1 recruit in the country, than the decisive reason he picked them over the Trojans. USC has a history of playing true freshmen if they are up to the challenge. No one is saying Clausen isn't. But why make it hard on yourself at one place when success is virtually guaranteed at another? All you have to do is look at Booty's career at USC to see how a can't- miss prospect can get buried behind a more experienced starter. Booty graduated a year early from high school to be able to compete for the starting job as a true freshmen. Carson Palmer was off to the NFL and three unproven quarterbacks waited in the wings. Matt Leinart was named the starter after spring practice, but there was a perception on campus that he was just keeping the seat warm for Booty. Of course, it never worked out that way. Leinart turned out to be a lot more than a benchwarmer bench·warm·er n. Sports A substitute player. . Nothing is guaranteed at Notre Dame either, but you couldn't think of a better set-up. Clausen is on track to graduate early from Oaks Christian and enroll at Notre Dame in time for next year's spring practice, when the competition to replace Quinn will begin. Clausen's decision likely will have a domino effect across the country. Quarterback Mike Paulus, the brother of Duke basketball guard Greg Paulus, has expressed interest in Notre Dame. Probably a slim chance he'll be going there now. "The rest of the country can fall in line with (Clausen)," said Oaks Christian running back Marc Tyler, one of the highest-rated running back prospects in his class, who is at Notre Dame with Clausen and fellow teammate Casey Matthews this weekend. Said Wiser: "No quarterback is going to want to go where the No.1 quarterback is going if they want to see the light of day on the field." Quarterbacks might shy away, but everyone else will want come play alongside him. Don't be surprised to read about the Irish signing a handful of blue-chip wide receivers this year. It'll also have a domino effect at Oaks Christian, where at least seven other seniors are expected to accept Division I scholarships. "I've never had a class like this," Oaks' Christian coach Bill Redell said. "At Crespi, we might've had six guys go on to Division I, but not on one team, or one class. This is special." Now that Clausen is off the board, people can start paying attention to those other players: Tyler; Wiser; Matthews, a linebacker; wide receiver/defensive back Marshall Jones; lineman Duke Lemmens; lineman Michael Ebbitt; and defensive back Anthony Gildon. Not that any pressure is off Clausen. He might have committed early, but the hoopla hoop·la n. Informal 1. a. Boisterous, jovial commotion or excitement. b. Extravagant publicity: The new sedan was introduced to the public with much hoopla. 2. continues. "I think it does take a little bit of pressure off him on one hand," Redell said. "But it puts more on him in another if he's going to be the heir apparent at Notre Dame." CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Oaks Christian quarterback Jimmy Clausen becomes the hair apparent to Brady Quinn at Notre Dame. |
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