Sheldon Day Returning For Senior Year At Notre Dame
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly got some good news on Saturday, as junior defensive lineman Sheldon Day announced he would be returning to the Irish for his senior season, forgoing the 2015 NFL Draft.
“After talking with my family, friends and coaches at Notre Dame, I’ve decided to return for my senior year with the Irish,” Day said. “While the process leading up to this decision was difficult, ultimately my decision to return was easy. I love this school, my teammates and this coaching staff. I just felt it was in my best interest to play another year for Notre Dame.
In a year in which injuries decimated the Notre Dame defense, Day remained a strong presence on the defensive line- until he too suffered an injury to his knee against Northwestern – which sidelined him for the Louisville and USC contests. It’s hard to believe he could have made a drastic difference in either outcome, but he was still missed on that side of the ball.
A 2014 Outland Trophy Watch List selection, the Notre Dame Moose Krause Lineman of the Year and a co-captain, Day is a critical part of the success of the Irish in 2015. After taking part in the BCS title game as a freshman, he’s hungry to get back to that spot.
"“I believe we’ve got an opportunity to have a special season in 2015 and I wanted to be a part of that success. I was blessed to play in the national championship game as a freshman in 2012, and I want to do everything in my power to reach that stage again with my guys.”"
With so many injuries this season, the benefit for the Irish was the amount of playing time that trickled down due to depth issues. While they were inexperienced and exposed on defense often down the stretch, the 2015 season will bring a team with deep experience all throughout the depth chart.
Having a player of Day’s talent return as a co-captain in his senior season will provide great leadership for a team that has high hopes for this coming year. Kelly is very aware of what he brings to the program.
"“He’s an outstanding player, and makes a major difference on the field for our team, but Sheldon’s impact goes beyond success on the field. His leadership as a captain in our program has been instrumental, and I look forward to him carrying this role into 2015.”"
In�35 career games played (19 starts) he has collected 96 tackles (58 solo), 16.5 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries, three and a half sacks, four passes defended and two fumble recoveries. After playing in all 13 games off the bench (making 23 tackles) as a freshman in 2012,�He started eight games as a sophomore in 2013, making 33 tackles.