Every day we inch closer and closer to the start of the college football season and it really does give me butterfly’s in my stomach. There’s nothing like watching Notre Dame play on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Oh, speaking of the Irish, the next player on this list that wore 83 was a member of the Irish football and baseball team.
What couldn’t Jeff Samardzjia do? He was a star receiver on the football team and an absolute beast on the mound for the baseball team.
Samardzjia accepted an athletic scholarship to Notre Dame where he played on the football team from 2003-2006 and the baseball team from 2004-2006.
As a football player, Samardzjia was a reserve player his first two seasons catching a total of 24 balls and getting his first start in 2004 at the Insight Bowl.
2005 was the break out gear for Jeff Samardzjia as he set the Notre Dame single season record for both yards and touchdowns. He finished his junior year with 77 snags going for 1,249 yards and 15 touchdowns and was a Biletnikoff Award finalist.
The next season in 2006, Samardzjia didn’t stop his reign on the gridiron. He once again was a Biletnikoff Award finalist after racking up 78 catches for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns.
While Samardzjia was a good football player, but baseball seemed to be his calling. The right handed “Shark” is currently a free agent pitcher that played 13 years with the Cubs, A’s, White Sox, and Giants.
Tomorrow we highlight a beast of a pass catcher that played college football at the University of Miami.