It’s first-and-Golson for ND
After suspension, quarterback is rarin’ to go for Irish
SOUTH BEND — Everett Golson felt embarrassed and humiliated.
The 2013 season had kicked off, and Golson was miles away from Notre Dame Stadium. Miles away from his teammates and coaches.
“I watched the Temple game, and I felt kind of bad,’’ Golson said. ‘‘Seeing all those guys out there, the biggest thing was I saw (tailback) Amir (Carlisle) break off on a run, and it really sunk in, ‘I’m not there.’
‘‘And the Michigan game, it tore me up just for the simple fact that they lost, and the competitor in me always felt like maybe I could have done something to change the circumstances. It definitely hurt me.”
One year later, Golson’s circumstances have changed. A year ago, all he could do was watch Notre Dame on TV while he served a semester-long suspension tied to academics. Now he’s back as the starting quarterback. The Irish open the season Saturday against Rice.
“I’m eager,” Golson said. “It’s been a long time. It’s been like 600 days. I’m eager to get back out there.”
When all appears lost for the Irish, Golson brings a key skill: He can pull off positive plays.
“There’s a reason they had the success they did two years ago,’’ Rice coach David Bailiff said. ‘‘ He makes great decisions. He’s very athletic. He throws the football well. He’s a total-package player.”
He’ll have to shake off the rust. This will be Golson’s first appearance since the BCS title-game loss to Alabama on Jan. 7, 2013.
“We need to get him into the game, have some success early on with him and get him into the flow of the game,” coach Brian Kelly said. “I think once he starts to get comfortable playing the game at a fast pace, then we’ll just call the game like we normally would.”
Golson knows this will not be a normal experience.
“That’s what I’m trying to prepare myself for the most,” Golson said, “understanding that the crowd is there, but also dialing myself in and performing the task at hand.”