NOTRE DAME - Nick Fitzpatrick has dreamed of playing for Notre Dame for as long as he can remember.
"Since I was a kid I always wanted to go to Notre Dame", Fitzpatrick says. "Whether I was playing football or not. My brother played here in the mid 2000's and I knew it was what I wanted to do."
A former standout at Marian high school who graduated in 2009, Nick walked-on to the football team at Notre Dame. And while the scout team wide receiver may never get a chance to catch a game-winning touchdown, what he did for the Irish this past week was every bit as important.
Fitzpatrick was responsible for simulating Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson in practice.
"I want to give a big shout out to Nick Fitzpatrick", Manti Te'o said following Notre Dame's 13-6 win over the Wolverines.
"He was our Denard for the week on our scout team, and he's one of my good friends, and he did a wonderful job in trying to duplicate what Denard does. He was running all over the field, and he gave us a great look"
"It's not easy to go out there and imitate one of the most dynamic players in college football", Fitzpatrick admits. "But it was a lot of fun"
Nick Fitzpatrick isn't the first in his family to make an impact on the football field at Notre Dame. His older brother DJ was the starting kicker for three years from 2003 - 2005, kicking 34 field goals, an more than a hundred extra points.
While Nick's career won't include a place in the Irish record books like his older brother, this past week is one he'll never forget!
"(My career) has kinda come full circle this week. Getting to do the most fun job a scout team player could ever ask for: Trying to imitate Denard Robinson. It was a lot of fun."
