Charlie Weis announced the hiring of former Notre Dame linebacker Kinnon Tatum to the position of graduate assistant on Wednesday. Tatum will replace Kevin Loney who was promoted to offensive graduate assistant after Shane Waldron left for a position with the Patriots.
I hired an ex-Notre Dame football player Kinnon Tatum, he was here from ’93 to ’96 and graduated in ’97, played linebacker here, went on to play for the Panthers for a couple years and was in training camp with Tampa Bay in 2000. The last few years he’s been coaching high school football in Charlotte, so he’ll be taking the position that Kevin (Loney) had, and Kevin took the position that Shane had.
Tatum was always one of my favorite players from the late 90’s because a) he was part of an outstanding linebacker corps along with Bert Berry, Lyron Cobbins, and Kory Minor and b) he was flat out awesome in the old NCAA Football games on my Sega Genesis. Tatum was at Notre Dame the last time it could be said that linebacker was one of the absolute strengths of the team and it’s great to have him back.
Here’s a youtube clip of Tatum’s bone crushing hit against USC in 1995 when the 5th ranked Trojans came to town with title hopes and left with their tail between their legs.
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So… I just cried a little with happiness watching that highlight. It.. it just makes me sooooo happy.