Notre Dame, IN (UHND.com) – James Aldridge’s freshman season was marred by a knee injury suffered last spring which limited his effectiveness even once the talented back was cleared for a contact. This spring has brought a fresh start for the sophomore to be who, now that he is completely healthy, will be looking to showcase the second gear head coach Charlie Weis talked about Monday.
“A lot of running backs have one gear,” explained to the media before adding that, “He has a second gear.” That second gear is something that should excite Notre Dame fans who have seen a running game that has lacked a running back who can take it the distance once he’s in the clear over the past few seasons.
That second gear is something Weis didn’t see last year after Aldridge was coming off the knee injury which limited what he could and couldn’t do in practice. “I saw the power runner, but I never saw that second gear,” is how Weis described Aldridge’s performance in 2006.
Last year at this time fans had hopes for Aldridge, who was an early enrollment recruit, but as Weis explained, “He wasn’t ever fully healthy.” Aldridge battled through the knee injury though and did earn some playing time albeit if he wasn’t his full self. “Even when he was ready to go during the season, he didn’t have what I call fresh legs like he does now,” said Weis.
Aldridge was never allowed the luxury of being able to do everything he wanted to do, partly because of the clunky knee brace he was forced to wear once he did hit the field; and that is something that excites Aldridge about this year. “I won’t have that knee brace on for sure,” Aldridge explained when asked of what we should expect to see different about his running the year. He would go on to explain that, “The knee brace limits you, it really does.”
A full year removed from the injury, however, Aldridge figures to make a much bigger impact in the Notre Dame running game. Said Weis of where his running back is now compared to this time a year ago, “Its like night and day from where he was last year.”
In fact, Aldridge is now to the point where he is challenging likely starter Travis Thomas for the top spot on the depth chart. “Yes he is definitely challenging,” was Weis’s reply when asked if Aldridge was pushing for the starting spot along with Thomas.
This spring Aldridge has been getting used to running the way he was accustomed to before the injury. “Getting used to bending my legs like I wanted to and exploding up, that added a whole other dimension,” he told the media.
Aldridge talked a little more about how different he fells this spring as opposed to last stating, “I figure to be a lot quicker,” before later adding, “my lateral movement is back again just like it used be”
The former Merriville standout is also aware that he has the chance to supplant Thomas. When asked about the competition going on to replace the departed Darius Walker he responded with “It’s fair game. The competition is every day, in every thing you do”
A healthy James Aldridge should mean a rather healthy competition for the starting running position along with Thomas and freshman Armando Allen who has also been impressive this spring. What most people fail to realize as well is that Aldridge is still just a freshman with three years of eligibility left to show Weis and the rest of the Notre Dame faithful that second gear he couldn’t a year ago.
