Junior tight end Kyle Rudolph is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury. (Michael Conroy/AP)
By Brian Hamilton
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- As he left the Notre Dame practice field Wednesday, something did indeed pain Kyle Rudolph: Not winning one of ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit's "Herbies" despite a couple nominations.
"Thought an Ohio guy would help me out," said Rudolph, a Cincinnati native.
Critically, that was the only agony of the day. The junior tight end and potential All-American said he had his best day of work Wednesday since he started nursing a hamstring injury early in the preseason -- very auspicious timing with the season opener Saturday.
"Today was a big step in the right direction," Rudolph said after Wednesday's workout. "We're focused on Purdue and I'm not worried about my leg. Like coach (Brian) Kelly said, I'm 100 percent. He doesn't think I'm 100 percent mentally -- he still thinks I worry about it. But today was a big day for me mentally and confidence-wise to be able to go out and run around and not worry about it."
That is certainly positive news for the Irish, who could use a full complement of offensive weapons to help ease Dayne Crist into his first career start at quarterback. And having a 6-foot-6, 265-pound target rumbling down the field while also helping to fuel the run game is one way to do that.
Rudolph said he was "still tentative" on Tuesday, but waking up and feeling no ill effects of a full-pads, full-speed practice the next day may have been a breakthrough. There wasn't much left to worry about than that.
"I feel good as far as my cardiovascular part," Rudolph said. "I had a hurt hamstring, not a hurt body. So there's a lot of stuff they can do. Upper body, (running) on a hill, running in the water, stuff like that. Where I'm working hard but not putting all the toll on my hamstring.
"It's just that I'm not 100 percent confident in my hamstring, but like I said, today was a big day for me. I feel very comfortable with the offense and everything like that. I really haven't missed a beat."
As long as no one can discern Saturday that Rudolph played a waiting game all August, the Irish will be more than satisfied with the plan they set for one of their most valued offensive assets.
"He was better Tuesday than he was Monday, and he was better (Wednesday) than he was Tuesday, so he's certainly headed in the right direction," tight ends coach Mike Denbrock said of Rudolph. "He's moving around really well and gaining more confidence in being able to go full speed."
Rudolph said he was "still tentative" on Tuesday, but waking up and feeling no ill effects of a full-pads, full-speed practice the next day may have been a breakthrough. There wasn't much left to worry about than that.
"I feel good as far as my cardiovascular part," Rudolph said. "I had a hurt hamstring, not a hurt body. So there's a lot of stuff they can do. Upper body, (running) on a hill, running in the water, stuff like that. Where I'm working hard but not putting all the toll on my hamstring.
"It's just that I'm not 100 percent confident in my hamstring, but like I said, today was a big day for me. I feel very comfortable with the offense and everything like that. I really haven't missed a beat."
As long as no one can discern Saturday that Rudolph played a waiting game all August, the Irish will be more than satisfied with the plan they set for one of their most valued offensive assets.
"He was better Tuesday than he was Monday, and he was better (Wednesday) than he was Tuesday, so he's certainly headed in the right direction," tight ends coach Mike Denbrock said of Rudolph. "He's moving around really well and gaining more confidence in being able to go full speed."
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