Everett Golson is returning to Notre Dame. Again. Two years after Golson returned to Notre Dame following his academic exile for the 2013 season, Golson will again be returning to participate in Notre Dame’s Pro Day after spending the 2015 season as a graduate transfer at Florida State.
Golson raised some eyebrows a few weeks ago when he said that he wasn’t sure whose Pro Day he would attend – Notre Dame’s where he spent three years or Florida State’s where he transferred to for his final season of eligibility. Tuesday Golson’s story came full circle when news broke that he would return to South Bend to take part in Notre Dame’s Pro Day along with teammates he would have ended up leading in 2015 even if he didn’t beat out Malik Zaire in the summer following Zaire’s broken ankle.
For Golson’s the news brings him back to a place where he experienced one of the most tumultuous careers of any Notre Dame player in recent memory. Many forget that Golson wasn’t even originally committed to Notre Dame when he was recruited for the class of 2011. Golson was committed to North Carolina before Brian Kelly came calling late and uncertainty surrounded the Tar Heel program at the time.
It was a sign of things to come for Golson and Notre Dame. Following his red-shirt season in 2011, Golson won the starting quarterback job and led the Irish – with some help from Tommy Rees – to the national championship game against Alabama where he looked like one of a few players who belonged on the same field that night. Unfortunately that night, so early in his career, would be the high water mark of his Notre Dame career.
What followed for Golson was a downward spiral no one could have predicted that January night in Miami three years ago. Golson’s rollcoaster 2014 season which saw him go from Heisman candidate to the bench in record time opened the door for Malik Zaire in the spring of 2015 and ultimately led to Golson’s decision to transfer for the 2015 season.
After picking one of the absolute best scenarios possible by heading to Florida State to potentially fill the shoes of Jameis Winston, Golson once again found himself on the bench by the end of the 2015 season.
And now, Golson will return to Notre Dame one more time looking for a chance to revive a career that at looked very promising multiple times over the years whether it be his performance against Alabama, his hot start to the 2014 season, or his time at Florida State before his benching.
Golson faces an uphill battle in his journey. He’s never had the ideal size for a quarterback that the NFL is looking for, but he will also have to answer questions about why he was unable to hold onto the starting quarterback position in 2014 at Notre Dame or Florida in 2015.
He’s got the talent. He always had. What he’s never had, however, is consistency or the poise NFL scouts are looking for. A Pro Day, however, should be right up Golson’s alley. Such an event should allow Golson to showcase his wares – his mobility, his rocket arm, and his accuracy without having to face a pass rush. What will be interesting to see, however, is how much chemistry Golson still has with the Notre Dame receivers that he will be throwing to since he hasn’t thrown a pass to any of them since the Blue Gold Game last April.
If only his talent level was at least on par with Sean Maguire’s
Golson has potential. With the right QB coach, someone who can mentor him to improve his psyche, he could be a solid backup or a season fill in when a starter goes down. I think he does have the talent for the NFL. He just needs a chance. Quinn was a prototype NFL QB but he washed out. Bad coaches had some part of it. Getting to that level is extremely tough. It’s going to come down to a coach or older QB taking a liking to him.
Thank you ND fan for putting things in perspective. Didn’t realize this is where fathers go to cry over comments made about their kids. Still an Irish fan. Believe it or not, some of us complain form time to time. Looking forward to the QB competition. Go Irish!
Hahaha… Off season blogging is just so much more fun.
Well Mikey, after failing to run a read option offense, then failing to make his reads in an offense designed for him, atop a year suspension for cheating, followed by consistent on field (and on camera) challenges and open mouthed deer in the headlights reactions to his head coach, and capped by taking half the starting reps through spring practice before bailing to FSU, I’m just not sure how else to read it. Other than maybe an example of the profound patience and excellence of ND coaches and tutors.
Anoint yourself all you like in the hot salty sentimental tears of the adolescent girls you have in your fruit cellar all you like; but the dog shit I pick up every day smells better than the illogic your putting down.
@ baetha breath
So Golson leaves ND with a degree, (which you refer to as him having a “mental” limitation) –
you judge then disparage his “character” and then characterize him as “pouting, excuse – making . . .and selfish . . .” and then expound on his “mental” limitation as “no reason to trash the guy”!
Forward that analysis to the litter box that your cat shits in.
Golson’s limitation, on the field and in the classroom has always been the same. I’d politely call it “mental”. Which is certainly no reason to trash the guy. But, Golson’s problem, seemed the be more of a character issue. The pouting, excuse making, and ultimate selfishness calls into question whether he was ever much of a team player, or just out for himself. It was a pattern at ND, and continued at FSU.
His limitation would likely preclude him from much serious consideration as an NFL quarterback, but his problem should cement it.
My brother alumnus is my brother alumnus.
Welcome back, Everett.
One more time Ted to make sure we all hear you.
The man endured 4 years in South Bend (including the winters), and earned his degree as a Southern African American at a lilly white elitist academic institution. Oh! And refresh my boomer memory… but we are still a Catholic institution… right? So… I don’t give a Tinker’s Damn what he did on the gridiron (even though it was great and I can recall being enthralled at many of his performances)… Everett deserves nothing but our highest respect. I just hope that he uses his degree and does not get hurt.
The man endured 4 years in South Bend (including the winters), and earned his degree as a Southern African American at a lilly white elitist academic institution. Oh! And refresh my boomer memory… but we are still a Catholic institution… right? So… I don’t give a Tinker’s Damn what he did on the gridiron (even though it was great and I can recall being enthralled at many of his performances)… Everett deserves nothing but our highest respect. I just hope that he uses his degree and does not get hurt.
qb2333,
I don’t often have Mr. Burgundy’s back (nor does he need me to) although many of his comments do crack me up, I will say you are way off base with your hurtful comments about EG! I wasn’t a fan either but, regardless, he is someone’s son and IS a ND grad. I dare say if someone had similar comments about a son of yours in a similar position you’d be even more agressive in responding. Bottom line: nothing good to come of your comments. He’s not coming back to play for the Irish. Chill. Move on and focus on this upcoming season. We’ve got an exciting QB battle coming up and I for one am looking forward to Sep. 3rd. Go Irish!!!
Nobody knows how good he will in the NFL until he plays. People said the same thing about Tom Brady, Doug Flutie, and Russell Wilson. Tom Brady was not a full-time starter in college either.
Burgundy is satanic.
It always amazed how people dumped on Golson. How quickly people forget that he was the qb at the helm when notre dame went to it’s last championship game. He was also one of the few bright spots in that game as I recall. This blog in particular always hypes Tommy Rees as if he was the second coming. Golson’s stats as 2 yr starter, 443 745 59.5 5850 7.9 7.7 41 20 138.2. Tommy Rees stats as 4 yr starter, 627 1048 59.8 7670 7.3 6.9 61 37 133.5. Projected over 4 yrs, Golson was just as good if not better than Rees. Also, “After picking one of the absolute best scenarios possible by heading to Florida State …”, this was not the case. Fisher’s offense in notoriously difficult to learn, and he had a couple of months to learn it. Not to mention that FSU was just not as good in past years. Also, if I recall, he undefeated when they benched him (Golson) and started Macguire, who was just not that good. People also seem to forget that when he had that meltdown towards the end of the year, they were riddled with injuries. I could go on. So lets take it easy on Golson.
I don’t think Golson is NFL material, at least not as a QB. Maybe there’s some other role he could play but as a QB, not likely. Being benched twice by 2 different programs is not going to help his stock. It’s ashame, really. I had high hopes for Golson after 2012. As Frank noted, in the NC game against Alabama, he was one of the only players that didn’t seem intimidated by the atmosphere. More than any other player, his expressions and his level of play showed me he believed he belonged there. Then 2013 happened and nothing was the same after that.
I wonder, would things have been different if he was on the team in 2013, for him and for the Irish. At the very least, I think he would have built on the success of 2012 and continued to grow. Sadly we’ll never know. Hopefully, for EG, he got a good degree that will land him a good career, because I’d be surprised if he found a career with the NFL at this point.
What does graduating from Notre Dame have to do with it?
He started in NC game because he was backed up by the No 1 D (up until it was obliterated by Bama) and had Tommy Rees of all people wiping his behind all season long.
Let’s just agree to disagree Burgundy
He needs to make good on all those George Whitfield IOUs
And yet he is a graduate of Notre Dame and started at QB in a national championship game.
Ease up Francis
He’s a short hero ball turnover machine benched by 2 separate top level programs while given every advantage. Zero shot in the NFL and that’s why he wasn’t invited to the combine