'08 IL OLB Darius Fleming (4/21/07 Notre Dame LOI)

[Svoboda]

Outside Linebacker
St. Rita High School (http://www.stritahs.com/) (Chicago, IL)

Ht: 6-foot-3
Wt: 230 lbs
Forty:
GPA:
ACT:

Links of Interest: Rivals Profile (http://notredame.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=60835)

Combine:
Bench Max:
Squat Max:
Vertical:
Shuttle:

Star Ratings
Rivals.com: ****
Scout.com: ****

Rankings & Accolades
Rivals 100 #89 Rivals National OLB #8 Rivals IL Top 30- #2
Scout 100 #56 Scout National SLB #2
ESPN 150 #94 ESPN National DE #7
Lemming/CSTV 100 #31
RISE 100 #98

Statistics
2006- 105 Tackles, 15 TFL, 9 Sacks.
2007- 69 Tackles, 15 TFL, 10 Sacks, 2 Fumble Recoveries.

Schools of Interest:
Notre Dame (LOI) Official Visit 12/7/07
Illinois
Iowa
Michigan
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Purdue
USC

[Svoboda]

http://i25.tinypic.com/351i8hy.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/eqwk8j.jpg

http://i25.tinypic.com/2aim3ys.jpg

[Svoboda]

Fleming has been offered per Rivals.

[Svoboda]

There is word that Fleming could possibly give his verbal within the next couple weeks.

[notredomer23]

we are going to need an olb so lets hope he commits because next year is crums final year and he is a real olb even though he played mlb this year

[untitledproject]

Update.

[stew654]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/preps/524547,CST-SPT-qa24.article

"What is the difference between Darius Fleming of 2006 and 2007? I'm more intelligent with the game now. I'm stronger, bigger and faster. People will see that I'm more physical. My goal is to make 15 or more sacks."

the 08' class cant get here soon enough

[tedwick]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/preps/524547,CST-SPT-qa24.article

"What is the difference between Darius Fleming of 2006 and 2007? I'm more intelligent with the game now. I'm stronger, bigger and faster. People will see that I'm more physical. My goal is to make 15 or more sacks."

the 08' class cant get here soon enough
also...

If you weren't a football player, what would you be? A professional bowler. I bowl in high school. I average 200-plus with a high game of 279 and a high series of 673. It is the most physical sport you can play without touching someone.
...
Do you have less time for horses? I grew up around horses. Some kids like cats or dogs. I like horses. Riding or grooming horses is the most fun I have outside of football. They are an hour away in Crete. I get a kick out of taking my buddies out there.

darius fleming, you are both a gentleman and a scholar.

[NDGirlzRock]

"If you weren't a football player, what would you be? A professional bowler. I bowl in high school. I average 200-plus with a high game of 279 and a high series of 673. It is the most physical sport you can play without touching someone."

We had another famous bowler from ND anyone know who? This kid sounds like a fine young man. Great addition to ND! Welcome to the family Darius!

[daytonirish]

Would you be thinking of a RB named Bettis?

[NDGirlzRock]

Would you be thinking of a RB named Bettis?

I would....he used to go to Chippewa Bowl at the south end of South Bend and bowl during the off season. I caught a few of his games there. Great guy by the way. I have heard that he has bowled a few 300 games in his time.

[IrishKnight1023]

I'm just goin to paste the whole article because it'll disappear in a month and we'll be able to look back at it.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/preps/524547,CST-SPT-qa24.article

Sun-Times spotlight: Darius Fleming
SENIOR | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | 6-3 | 235 | ST. RITA

August 24, 2007

Q) As the No. 1 player on the state's No. 1 team, do you feel pressure?
A) Not at all. It's not where you start, but where you finish. It just matters that we're on top in November.
What is your best memory of 2006? Seeing how happy the coaches were after we won state. It is cool to see how the coaches react after we accomplish something. I hope to see that same look this year.

Q) What is the difference between Darius Fleming of 2006 and 2007?
A) I'm more intelligent with the game now. I'm stronger, bigger and faster. People will see that I'm more physical. My goal is to make 15 or more sacks.

Q) Why did you choose Notre Dame?
A) When I visited there, I knew from the start I wanted to go there. I knew some guys like Demetrius Jones, but I felt comfortable with kids I didn't even know. And the tradition is unbelievable.

Q) What about St. Rita's tradition?
A) I don't know about the 1963 national championship team. The 1971 team is our role model. I see Dennis Lick all the time. And I've heard about Billy Marek. Coach talks about them, how they pushed themselves. It motivates us.

Q) If you weren't a football player, what would you be?
A) A professional bowler. I bowl in high school. I average 200-plus with a high game of 279 and a high series of 673. It is the most physical sport you can play without touching someone.

Q) What is the key to repeating as state champion?
A) We must play every team like they are ranked No. 1. We can't be big-headed. We've got to play every game like it is our last, even better than we played in the state final last year.

Q) Which teammates impress you the most?
A) Offensive tackle Kevin Galeher and quarterback Jason Kafka, who was a wide receiver last year. Going against them every day in practice has made me a better player. Jason will be a big key, like Peter Balsam last year.

Q) Do you have less time for horses?
A) I grew up around horses. Some kids like cats or dogs. I like horses. Riding or grooming horses is the most fun I have outside of football. They are an hour away in Crete. I get a kick out of taking my buddies out there.

Q) Who is your favorite teacher?
A) Mrs. Maureen Pangrazio, my science teacher. When she sees something is wrong, if you're having a rough day, she takes you aside and talks to you. She goes to all the sports events and makes posters for the teams.

Q) What have you learned from coach Todd Kuska?
A) If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where I am now. He inspired and motivated me. In eighth grade, I didn't know where I wanted to go to high school. He made me want to go to St. Rita. He brought me up to the varsity as a sophomore and said I had potential to do something in football.

[irishunclebill]

St. Rita's crushed Tez's school 41-6. Darius had 2 sacks of Illini recruit Jack Ramsey and was close to 2 others were it not for the elusiveness of Ramsey. Darius apparently whooped on another Illini recruit, Nate Palmer, the entire game.

Link to Sun-Times article on game.

http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/football/529609,CST-SPT-rita27.article


St. Rita's is the #1 ranked team in the Chicago Sun-Times Super 25 after week 1.

[IrishKnight1023]

Good work IUB

[daytonirish]

Over on rivals, they have an article on the games played in Chicago and they state that Darius was the best player on the field for all the games played at Soldier Field.

[IrishKnight1023]

Highlights of Darius' team St. Rita, but you have to scroll to underneth the Mt. Carmel highlights and click on St. Rita's. Darius was ALL OVER the field and could've ended the game with like 5 sacks.

http://friday.rivals.com/friday.asp

[IrishKnight1023]

Video interview with Darius....

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/video.asp?section=fbrecruit&vidtype=amp&vidid=2784

[irishunclebill]

St. Rita moves to 2-0 with a 38-15 victory over the weekend. Get ready for the big game on 9/14 when Fleming and St. Rita's take on Filer and MCHS.

[irishunclebill]

St. Rita's moves to 3-0 and stays #1 in the Sun-Times Poll with a 35-0 win over Leo. St. Rita may have been looking ahead a little bit to this weekend's big battle with MCHS as they led by a score of only 7-0 at halftime. They quickly moved to a 21-0 lead early in the second half with a TD return of the opening second half kickoff followed three plays later by a INT return for a TD.

Link to Sun-Times article on the St. Rita's game.

St. Rita's holds down Leo. (http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/football/547775,090707strita.article)

[irishunclebill]

Darius and Sun Times #1 ranked St. Rita were upset last night by #3 ranked MCHS in a game that featured fellow ND verbal commit Steve Filer of MCHS as the hero. St. Rita dropped to 3-1 as MCHS avenged last year's 7-6 defeat.

Link to complete Sun-Times article.

South Side Supremacy- MCHS upsets St. Rita (http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/558360,091407gatelyupdate.article)

[stonebreakerwasgod]

He's going to be a big difference maker for us.

[fwirish24]

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=757045

short article on Darius

[IrishKnight1023]

http://notredame.scout.com/2/723286.html

Fleming also says he’ll be seeing a lot of Notre Dame in the future.

“I plan on going there a bunch,” he said. “I’ll be there as much as I can for spring football. I’ll try to get to a lot of practice. I may just go down there now and again just to hang out. I’ll be at the spring game. I’m really looking forward to it.”

[notredomer23]

Now thats good to hear

[IrishKnight1023]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/notredame/cs-080209-notre-dame-football,1,315217.story

This is how close Steve Filer and Darius Fleming are:

"I can walk from his house to my house," Filer said.

"Two to five minutes," Fleming said.

[irishunclebill]

Profile Updated & Pictures Added.

Profile also Updated to reflect Final Star Ratings & Rankings on the recruiting boards.

[notredomer23]

He was at the game

[IrishKnight1023]

http://notredame.scout.com/2/761512.html


But not everyone in Chicago understood their decisions.

"People told me that the school was prejudiced and that they’re weren’t a lot of black kids there, but we never felt that," Nelson said.

Darius’ father said that it’s a case of uninformed people.

"I hate when people talk about things they don’t know about," he said. "If you’ve never been to a place how can you talk bad about it? People don’t know what they’re talking about, because it’s nothing like that."

Nelson had trouble putting her feelings about her son into words.

"I can’t even describe it," she said. "I’m too proud. Proud ain’t even the word. He has impressed me so much. He’s a blessing."

His father shares that sentiment.

"Darius is a great person. He deserves everything that he’s getting," Larry Fleming said. "He’s helped me just as much as I’ve helped him."

[SoCalDomer]

great family.

[IrishGrizz]

It is great that there are so many of these guys recruited that I like and admire more as an individual than as a ND athlete.

[rontdtarchala]

hear hear grizz

[NDgrandson]

This guy should have more posts in his thread. Like 4500, his number times 100. ; )

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0903/ncf_g_fleming11_400.jpg

Marv seems to like him a lot too.

[IrishR#1]

I like him a lot of a defensive end. His bullrush of the Stanford player to get the sack was so awesome his freshman year. He's one of the pieces to a great defense in 2010 and 2011.

[sreepointer]

Agree, sky is the limit for him. The need to put him in a position to be creative, and to use his athletism.

[JMR8]

Honestly I dont remember the last time ND had a sack like he did in the 2nd quarter. Blew past his guy on the edge and decleated the QB!!! That was sooo nice to see.

[ALLND62]

yeah it kinda of looked like Betty White getting hit in that snickers commercial.

[JMR8]

yeah it kinda of looked like Betty White getting hit in that snickers commercial.

hahaha yeah a little somethin like that.

[NDisNCin2010]

Honestly I dont remember the last time ND had a sack like he did in the 2nd quarter. Blew past his guy on the edge and decleated the QB!!! That was sooo nice to see.

that was great sack...the whole stadium saw it coming...except for the qb.

i have to admit that d fleming has been a bit of a disappointment to me this year i thought he was going to go off in this D...plays like that give me hope that he still can in future.

[JMR8]

thought so too. He has his moments here and there, but I think he's starting to play a little better (and the D as a whole) but I think he will come around soon and produce nicely on the field.

[irishunclebill]

Darius sustained a concussion yesterday but is expected to be able to play against Army.

[JMR8]

I work in the bar/restaurant at a ski resort in Michigan and Saturday I meet this kid who is a SR at St. Rita. He was up visiting family over Christmas break. He said Fleming was insane. Huge, friends with everyone and even played an instrument and was in the chess club. he referred to him as "black jesus". He said if there was something you wanted done he could do it. Nothing important, but just kind of cool I thought.

[zimmsbg78]

http://www.irishsportsdaily.com/football/football-articles/5215-fleming-leads-by-example (free)


NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Darius Fleming will begin his senior year as one of the most experienced players on the Fighting Irish defense. The outside linebacker has been a staple on his side of the football and led the team in tackles for loss (11) and total yards lost (90) last season. Fleming returns, along with Ethan Johnson, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Manti Te’o, Harrison Smith, and Gary Gray, as the only players on defense to start all 13 games last year.

The Chicago, Ill. native also started seven games in 2009. He feels the biggest difference this season is that for the first time in his college career he will play in the same system two years in a row.

“Things have just started to gel for me,” he said. “I was just getting more comfortable, and having more time in the defense. Everybody started to click, and we just got a feel for every position. We came together and it showed in those last four games.”

Fleming also feels the team has had its best off season since he has been at the University. He credits Notre Dame’s strength and conditioning coach Paul Longo with keeping the players motivated throughout the summer.

“Coach Longo has made a huge difference,” noted the senior. “Not just with me, but with the entire team. I feel really comfortable with my body right now, and feel confident I can compete with the bigger guys. It allows me to just play faster and be more physical.

“I don’t feel any slower. I still feel comfortable dropping (into coverage), and the coaches are doing a great job of teaching me and the other outside linebackers.”

While adding notable size over the spring and summer, he comes into the season weighing a personal best 255 pounds. Fleming feels he can still be an effective pass rusher. The outside linebacker feels he is in a perfect spot for this team.

“I love it,” said the former Chicago Prep Bowl city champion. “I feel like this is the position I’m supposed to be playing. The coaches put me in the right spot, and the players around me are awesome.

“When you’re out there just playing and you know your assignment, you don’t have to think about it, and that helps a lot. A lot of the guys have been in their playbooks a lot more, and understand things a lot better, which allows you to not think and just react.”

Expectations are very high for the Irish defense this season, and the senior is one of the primary reasons for that. It became evident that he really began to understand defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s system in the latter part of 2010. The Cat linebacker had a very productive second half of the season, recording seven tackles for loss and four sacks.

“I started understanding the defense a lot better,” he noted of his late season production. “Working with the coaches and just being out there and running the plays, it lets you see how it works, and just makes you a little more comfortable.

“Players are players, and we do what are coaches tell us to do. We all enjoy this system and we have fun with it. I think with our body types, and the way Coach Longo has us built up, it’s perfect for us.”

While watching the team in practice this fall, there is an apparent connection between Fleming and sophomore Dog linebacker Prince Shembo. The sophomore seems to have a much better grasp on the defense, and has become a more vocal presence on the field. The speedy pass rusher looks to add to a productive freshman year for the school in which he recorded 15 tackles and four and a half sacks.

“Shembo is a great guy,” offered Fleming. “I love playing with him. He’s one of my closest buddies on the team. Outside of football we even hang together. He’s a young guy, but I look at him and I want to be like him. He’s a very energetic guy.

“I’m excited to see what he can do this year. He’s been doing awesome in practice and getting better. We know that we’re going to push each other, so we try our best to go against each other in everything we do. When we do that we feel it will lead to great things.

“If I’m down, he’ll start yelling and get me pumped up. It’s kind of hard for me to get him pumped up because he’s on a whole other level. He’s an intense guy, and you need that kind of guy on your team because it leaks into the other players.”

Fleming hopes that Shembo’s intensity will rub off onto the talented group of freshmen that have joined the defense this year. He is also confident that the coaches and veteran players can help develop the young, raw talent that has shown up in South Bend this fall.

“With the coaches that we have, and the players that can teach them, they’ll be fine,” said Fleming. “Every freshman that comes in has a difficult time transitioning from high school to college, but the coaches here do an awesome job, and the players are trying to teach them.

“I don’t want them to have to think too much so that they can play fast. I just look for ways that I can teach them, and they can understand it so they can play faster than I did when I first got here. Just in these first few days of practice they have gotten a lot better. They are coming out and competing and learning, and it’s exciting to see.”

As Fleming and the other veterans continue to build on last season success, and the freshmen come in with fresh energy, it is clear why there is so much hype surrounding the team. The returning starter will continue to do everything that has come to be expected of him, and he is confident the rest of the team will do the same.

“I believe in team,” he remarked. “We are going to go do our job, and the offense is going to do their job, and that’s what I expect is going to happen throughout the season.”

[zimmsbg78]

http://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1250575 (free)


To say that Darius Fleming’s first three years in the Notre Dame program weren’t a success would fly in the face of reality.

Fleming, the 6-foot-2, 255-pounder from Chicago, has started 23 games for the Irish, including all 13 last year on a defense that became one of the stingiest in the country by the end of the season. He led the Irish in tackles for loss (11) and sacks (six). He now has 25 ? tackles for loss and 11 ? sacks in his career.

He’s been a quality football player, a good representative of Notre Dame, and a leader - predominately quiet - but a leader nonetheless.

Fleming expects more of himself in his final season with the Irish.

“The time is ticking,” said Fleming with a smile. “I look back and can’t believe how fast it’s gone. But it’s been fun, and I’m excited about where I am now and where the team is.”

Where is Notre Dame heading into the 2011 season? Possibly knocking on the door of a BCS bid. And where is Fleming’s game? Skyrocketing, according to head coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco.

“He’ll be one of the more explosive players in the country this year,” said Kelly Wednesday following Notre Dame’s fifth day of pre-season drills. “He’s comfortable now. Last year, it was all robotic. It was ‘get to this spot.’ Now, he flows to that spot. It’s a big difference.”

“What we’re interested in him being (this year) is one of the most productive players in the country,” said Diaco, taking the expectations for Fleming up a notch. “I’d like to see him have production to go along with all the awesome accolades of his intangible and tangible traits. We’d like to see some black and white stuff on paper that represents production, which he’s worked and put himself in position (for that to) happen.”

Fleming was a high profile recruit out of St. Rita High School in Chicago back in February of 2008. The U.S. Army All-American logged nearly 100 minutes of playing time (91:32) as a freshman, making 198 special teams appearances, recording 24 tackles and 2 ? sacks. A solid debut to his collegiate career.

As a sophomore in 2009, he was asked to play more defensive end for the Irish despite competing at an undersized 235-240 pounds. He started seven games and made an impressive 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. But the Irish defense was fighting an uphill - and losing - battle. It ranked 86th in the country in total defense, allowing nearly 26 points per game.

With the arrival of the new coaching regime in 2010, Fleming was placed at outside linebacker - the Cat - in a 3-4 alignment. He was swimming upstream in the new system. Kelly talked about Fleming’s tentativeness early in the season, particularly during Michigan’s game-winning drive when he sat back and allowed a couple of underneath passes to be completed and keep the drive alive.

Those days are long gone.

“Now I know my position,” Fleming said. “My head doesn’t have to be in the playbook. I’m working on things that I know I need to get better at. I don’t have to think as much as I did last camp when I was learning plays just like the freshmen are now. I know the plays, and so now, I’m positioning myself better and rushing the passer better.”

An example of Fleming’s improved preparation manifested itself during Wednesday’s practice. As the offense ran a zone read play, Fleming closed down on the dive option?and then popped out and took the quarterback out of the play as well. In other words, he defended two offensive threats at once.

“There are not a lot of guys that I have seen on film that can make those kinds of plays,” Kelly marveled. “He’s doing it more instinctually.”

Part of Fleming’s comfort stems from the way he’s changed his physique since the conclusion of the 2010 season. Always fairly big and strong, Fleming returned to the gridiron in the spring with a newly-sculpted body, a new-and-improved version over an already productive football player.

“(Strength and conditioning) Coach (Paul) Longo is awesome,” Fleming said. “He knows exactly what he’s doing. Every guy is different, and (Longo) knows how to train guys at a different pace. He knows what you need. He knows how heavy I need to be.

“I give credit to him because his program keeps us strong and healthy. What he does is great for the team. It doesn’t matter what kind of body type you have, he will increase you physically.”

It’s those increases, as well as the Notre Dame defense’s strong close to the 2010 season, that has Fleming expecting greatness this fall.

“It shows you what this team and this defense is capable of,” said Fleming, who helped limit the last five teams on the 2010 slate to just 49 offensive points. “It was good for us to see that, but it also showed us that we expect more from our players.

“We know what we can do. So we want to keep going and do everything that is necessary to win. This defense can be great as long as we go into practice every day with the right attitude and get better as a team like we’ve been doing.”

Fleming is at the forefront of the coaches’ optimism as they point to the 2011 season.

“Darius has been a leader,” Diaco said. “He’s been a guy that leads by example. He’s a battery every day. Darius energizes me. So when I have a down day, I can look to guys like Darius and Harrison Smith to get uplifted, and vice versa. Darius brought that a year ago, and he’s bringing that now.”

Summarized Kelly: “It would not surprise me if (Fleming) becomes regarded as a national player.”

Tick, tick, tick?

[zimmsbg78]

http://www.irishsportsdaily.com/football/football-articles (free)


The vibe coming out of Notre Dame during the fall camp has been exceedingly positive. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has talked about the expectations that surround his program heading into the 2011 season. There are position battles that must be worked out, players need to emerge, and depth must be found. In short, for Notre Dame to take another step forward as a program, and go from an 8-5 team to a BCS caliber team, the individual players on the football must continue to improve their games.

Kelly and his staff have talked throughout the fall camp about the players they believe are capable of making those strides. One player that has consistently received praise from Kelly and the defensive coaches is senior outside linebacker Darius Fleming.

The Notre Dame head coach is not afraid to heap praise on his players, but he often tries to temper it and focus on what still must be done. This made his comments about Fleming during Notre Dame’s Media Day especially noteworthy.

Fleming finished the 2010 season on a high note, and that progress has only continued through the spring and into the early portions of fall camp.

“I think it’s the continuation of later in the season as well as what happened in the spring,” Kelly said of Fleming’s strong finish a season ago. “Those things gave us a lot of confidence in his ability, knowing that he could bring his game to a new level. That’s continued through pre-season camp.”

“He’s been a dominating player,” said the Irish coach of Fleming’s fall camp performance. “He has overwhelmed our position on the offensive side of the ball at times. I don’t use that word lightly. He’s overwhelmed some of our players. He’s now in position where we believe he can be an impact player for us.”

In past years, overwhelming the Notre Dame offensive line during camp might not have seemed like a significant accomplishment. But if any position or group has been talked about more by the Notre Dame coaches regarding their strong camp performance, it would be the offensive line. Overwhelming that group now carries much more significance.

Fleming noticed the improvement in his play a season ago, but it was not just his game that continued to get better.

“Everyone was more comfortable with their position towards the end of the season,” Fleming said of the Irish defense. “We started to click and you could just tell by the way we played and by our effort we were there.”

Finishing strong was great, and the momentum has been discussed; but according to Fleming, it’s time to move on and focus on the present and future.

“It’s definitely something to build on,” Fleming said of the strong finish, “but this is a new year and a new team. So we have to focus on that and just move on.”

Fleming plays one of the more demanding positions Notre Dame has on either side of the football. Few positions and few players are asked to play with as much versatility as is demanded of the Cat linebacker. He is a player that must be strong against the run, beat offensive tackles in one-on-one situations in the pass game, drop into coverage, and line up with different techniques.

A season ago, Fleming struggled to be a complete player and do all those things at a high level. At times he was effective getting after the quarterback, at times he was effective against the run, and he even made a play or two in the pass game. His issue a season ago was consistency and being a complete player, something he hopes to improve upon in 2011.

In order for Notre Dame’s defense to turn potential into consistent production, the Cat linebacker must be a force in every aspect.

“If he’s only one-dimensional, in other words, if he can only rush the passer and not drop, everybody knows what you’re doing defensively,” Kelly said of Fleming, and the Cat linebacker position. “He has now taken that next step that he’s as good in coverage as he is on the line of scrimmage, defending the run, rushing the quarterback.”

“That was the dimension we needed from Darius,” concluded the Irish head coach.

According to Kelly, by Fleming being that player, the Irish defense is much more difficult to prepare for.

“He’s taken that next step now in year two and can do those things for us,” Kelly said of Fleming’s play. “That’s where you build the uncertainty, what is he doing, rushing, dropping? Now you have to deal with the same scenario to the other side of the ball. What is Shembo doing? Is he rushing or dropping? We didn’t have that last year, quite frankly. We were at times a liability when we were dropping in coverage from that end.”

“Now that’s no longer the case,” said the Irish head man confidently.

Fleming was a high school defensive end and he played the same position during his first two seasons at Notre Dame. He was comfortable playing with his hand down and coming off the edge. When he was asked to do more, he admittedly struggled.

“At the beginning of the season I felt fine and I thought I was ready,” Fleming said. “But actually I wasn’t. I needed those snaps under my belt, that first half of the season and I made mistakes but they were much needed. That’s helping me prepare this year and not making those same mistakes.”

The result is a more confident player, and one that is hopefully capable of dominating football games.

“Just being more comfortable with my position, being more confident in myself and my ability to actually play the position at a high level,” Fleming said of where his comfort level currently stands. “Just by the coaches communicating with me clearly about my responsibilities helps me out a lot. Me being more comfortable will definitely an effect on my play this year.”

But what will that look like? What will a more effective Darius Fleming look like for the Notre Dame defense. The Chicago native is far too humble and classy to say just how good he thinks he will be this season. But he knows that if he improves his game it makes the entire defense better.

“I’m trying to focus on having an overall better game,” Fleming said of his 2011 goals. “I’m a lot more confident in my overall ability to drop and pass rush. When a play is called I won’t be hesitant about my job or thinking about what I’m supposed to do. Instead, I’ll be running around and making plays with the team and helping the defense to be successful.”

If Fleming can, in fact, become a more consistent and better all-around player at the position he will have an outstanding senior season, which would make his head coach’s preseason prognostications come to fruition.

[Purebred Irishman]

Former prep All-American Darius Fleming hungry to show he belongs with the best - Chicago Sun-Times (http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/10693498-419/former-prep-all-american-darius-fleming-hungry-to-show-he-belongs-with-the-best.html)


Darius Fleming knows what it’s like to be a hot commodity.

When Fleming was a senior at St. Rita, he was the top-ranked college prospect in the Chicago area and ranked 31st overall in the United States, eighth among outside linebackers and seventh among defensive ends by national recruiting services. He turned down USC and Oklahoma among many others to go to Notre Dame.

But it’s his humble roots as a football player on the South Side that are driving Fleming as he prepares for the NFL draft.

After four tumultuous seasons at Notre Dame, Fleming is considered a mid- to late-round pick in the April draft — he’s rated anywhere from 12th to 21st among outside-linebacker prospects. The former prep All-American now is the hungry guy trying to prove he’s as good or better than those rated above him.

But that’s how he got to the top in the first place. Fleming was an unheralded prospect when he came to St. Rita, a basketball player who contemplated going to Brother Rice because of its bowling program. A bit player in football as a sophomore, he made his initial impact as a junior at St. Rita on special teams — blocking a punt in the season opener against Hubbard — before dominating at defensive end to help the *Mustangs win their first state championship since 1978.

‘‘There are some great players at my position — you can’t be upset about those guys being rated higher,’’ Fleming said. ‘‘I respect the position I’m in. That’s something I’ve done to myself. And something I’m going to work on to improve.

‘‘[It] just makes me that much hungrier. I know that I have to perform well [at the combine]. When you’re rated higher, sometimes you don’t have the motor like someone that’s rated lower. I’m excited about it. It’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.’’

Still, it’s a laborious process. After finishing his senior season in Notre Dame’s 18-14 loss to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 29, Fleming hired an agent, choosing David Lee of Cleveland-based Players Rep Sports Management.

Needing to open some eyes at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next week, Fleming is in a rigorous training program designed specifically for the combine at EFT Sports Performance in Highland Park. His trainer is Elias Karras, who also trains NFL players such as Devin Hester and Johnny Knox and Bulls All-Star Luol Deng.

It’s not cheap. The training program alone costs between $8,000 and $10,000. The agency pays for not only that, but all of Fleming’s expenses — meals, hotel, transportation, insurance and a stipend.

And Fleming is still a student at Notre Dame. He’s enrolled in an independent study course that allows him to stay in the Chicago area. Because he has taken summer school courses, he will graduate in May with a degree in management consulting.

As for the draft itself, Fleming is a wild card. At 6-2, 245, he’s being billed as an outside linebacker with pass-rushing skills — with the kind of breakout potential that has more than one NFL team hoping he stays out of the draft spotlight.

‘‘He’s an interesting guy,’’ said NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock, who also has been an analyst for Notre Dame home games the last two seasons. ‘‘The interesting comments I’ve gotten from NFL people is he doesn’t have a high rating, but once teams put the tape on him, they say, ‘Wow, there’s something there.’

‘‘Part of the problem is that he’s a tweener from a size perspective. Where do you play him? How do you play him? He’s not long enough or big enough to be a 4-3 defensive end. Can he stand up and play inside in a 3-4? There are all kinds of questions *surrounding him, but I think that’s good for him because they’re asking those questions. They’re trying to find a spot for him.

‘‘Here’s what I do know: He has some natural pass-rush ability. So no matter where you line him up — with his hand in the dirt or standing up — there will be value to NFL teams. So, to me, he’s a draftable defensive end/outside linebacker/special-teams player, and he’ll probably look better than people think at the combine. He’s going to surprise people as we get closer to the draft.’’

[jbrown_9999]

Irish outside linebacker Darius Fleming ran a 4.77 40-yard dash on Monday, registered a vertical leap of 33.5 inches, a standing broad jump of 114 inches, a three-cone drill time of 7.03 seconds and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.28.

[stew654]

Niner, good stuff and good to see so many ND players going in draft

[Sparks inda Loo]

Good for him and I'm glad to see him back on a team with Ian Williams.

[NDGirlzRock]

Yeah he's playing for my favorite team!!! Woot woot

[Purebred Irishman]

This sucks

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/page/2/


Darius Fleming, a linebacker from Notre Dame chosen by the 49ers in the fifth round of the draft, will not play his rookie season.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Fleming tore his ACL during his first rookie minicamp practice.

There was no contact in the drill when Fleming went down, but he bent his knee awkwardly and couldn’t continue. Initial reports said Fleming suffered a hamstring injury, but an MRI confirmed that it’s actually a torn ACL, which almost certainly means Fleming won’t play until 2013.

Fleming signed his four-year, $2.264 million contract the day before the injury.