My Favorite Notre Dame Football Player: Tight End Tyler Eifert

As Irish fans, we all have our favorite Notre Dame football players. For me, that player is tight end Tyler Eifert, who now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tyler Eifert arrived at in South Bend as a relatively low-profile player, but ended up being my favorite Notre Dame football player. He played his high school ball at Bishop Dwenger in Fort Wayne, Indiana – just 90 miles away from Notre Dame’s campus.

Eifert joined the 2009 recruiting class as a three-star recruit ranked outside of the top 500 nationally according to 247. However, he would not fly under the radar in South Bend for very long.

His time at Notre Dame did not get off to the best start. During his freshman year, Eifert only appeared in one game and did not record any statistics. On top of that, the head coach who secured his commitment, Charlie Weiss, was fired at the end of the season.

That did not slow him down.

With a full year under his belt, Eifert was poised receive playing time as a sophomore in 2010. He still had to fight for snaps behind starting tight end Kyle Rudolph, but Eifert was hoping to be a contributor.

Eifert saw limited action through the early weeks of the season. Then opportunity struck. During Notre Dame’s sixth game of the year, Kyle Rudolph suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.

Eifert went on the start the final seven games of the season (including the bowl game) and was named the Notre Dame Offensive Newcomer of the Year. He finished the season with 27 receptions, 352 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.

There were big expectations for Eifert heading into the 2011 season, and he did not disappoint. His junior year was his best statistical season at Notre Dame.

Eifert started all 13 games that season and had 67 receptions, 803 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He was named a finalist for the John Mackey Award as one of the best tight ends in the nation.

Eifert finished the 2011 season ranked first on the team in average yards per catch and second on the team in total catches, receiving yards, touchdown receptions, and receiving yards per game.

While his statistics took a slight dip the following year, Eifert was still plenty effective. Even though he did not catch as many passes, he still commanded the attention of opposing defenses every time he stepped on the field.

Eifert totaled 50 receptions, 685 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns during that magical undefeated 2012 season.

He left Notre Dame as one of the most accomplished tight ends in the history of the football program. He surpassed Ken MacAfee’s school records for career receptions and career receiving yards by a tight end.

During his last few seasons at Notre Dame, Eifert was one of the top offensive weapons in all of college football. He was a perfect fit as a tight end in a spread offense, and his career coincided with a new trend in college football that saw offenses operate at a quicker pace and throw the ball more.

The prototypical tight end was no longer a big run-blocker that occasionally caught five yard passes. They looked more like receivers and would split out wide in some formations.

This trend made Eifert a valuable prospect when he entered the 2013 NFL draft. He was selected by the Cincinatti Bengals with the 21st overall pick in the first round.