NDFB Hoopla

With much fanfare, this week's edition of NDFB Hoopla:

• Sports Illustrated announced their 2010 All-American teams. Irish linebacker Manti T'eo and kicker David Ruffer both were 2nd team selections. Both are very deserving of the honor and I for one, hope to see them both return next year.

• The Paul Hornung Award has been recently established and will be given annually to college football's most versatile player. Paul "Golden Boy" Hornung , a Notre Dame legend, was the 1956 Heisman Trophy Winner and was the No. 1 pick in the 1957 NFL Draft. While at Notre Dame, Hornung played quarterback, running back, halfback, defensive back, punted, kicked, and returned kicks. The 2o1o finalists are Owen Maracic (Stanford), Jeremy Kerley (TCU), and Randall Cobb (Kenucky). For more information visit the award website.

• Pittsburgh hired Miami (OH) head coach Mike Haywood to replace Dave Wannstadt as head coach. Haywood was a wide receiver at Notre Dame in the mid-80s and was offensive coordinator and running backs coach from 2005-2008 under head coach Charlie Weis. The Irish will face their old signal caller next year on September 24 at Pittsburgh.
  

• Bubba Cunningham, a '84 Notre Dame graduate, is rumored to become the next Athletic Director at Kansas. Cunningham held the same position at Tulsa and Ball State, but spent the first 15 years of his career in the Athletic Department at Notre Dame. Irish fans can expect future match-ups with Kansas on the football slate, much in the same way Tulsa appeared on the schedule.
  

• Domer Hunter "the Punter" Smith was recently released by the Washington Redskins after his botched extra point hold. Smith was in his 12th season in the NFL after being a 7th Round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 1999.