Coach Weis Building Bionic Quarterbacks

Todd Marinovich, of the USC Trojans and the Oakland Raiders, was known to many as the "Robo-QB" because of how his father molded and programmed him to play the quarterback position from a very early age. But it seems that Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis is in the process of manufacturing a new generation of Robo-QBs, and the latest model comes off the production line with a titanium-reinforced spine. One can quickly spot the benefits of this new feature for the QB of the future. Quarterbacks with titanium spines will have great pocket presence, standing tall in the face of even the fiercest pass rush. Nobody will be able to accuse these new QBs of lacking the "backbone" to play the position at pressure-cooker Notre Dame.

Personally, I would have thought the first QB body parts to reinforce with titanium would have been the knees, or perhaps, given recent experience, the throwing elbow. But I'm sure Coach Weis has thought about this in more depth than I have, and he certainly knows quarterbacks better than I do. On the other hand, maybe there was more to Jimmy Clausen's surgery last Spring than we've been told?

But seriously, you can't help but root for Dan McCarthy. I hope he has a successful rehab and is soon pushing for playing time. I must say, despite the debacle that was the 2007 football season, I have rarely failed to be very impressed by the character of the young men Charlie is bringing into the program. He is finding and bringing to South Bend true "Notre Dame Men." These are guys who know where they want to be, and who are willing to have their spines surgically repaired for the chance to compete for a QB job against two of the highest-profile quarterback prospects to come out of high school in the past two years. Folks have been critical of Charlie Weis, but he clearly has been able to connect with these kids and their families. Whatever it is he's selling - I'm buying!