Irish Insights

Catching up with....former Notre Dame offensive lineman Jeremy Akers

Jeremy Akers was an All-American offensive guard for Notre Dame in 1996. He played on the last Irish team to win a bowl game and spent time in the NFL and the now-defunct XFL and NFL Europe before retiring following the 2005 season. He also married former Notre Dame and current AVP Tour volleyball player Angie Harris (now Akers) and lives in Redondo Beach, Calif.
We caught up with Akers earlier today to find out what he's been doing. If you want us to track down former players and coaches to find out what they are up to, leave a comment below or drop us an e-mail at [email protected].

Insights: What have you been doing since football ended?
Jeremy Akers: "Loving the beach, loving life, traveling with my wife. I'm actually involved in a variety of areas. My main business focus is basically I work with privately held businesses and real estate developers that are looking for investors in their projects and then I'll package up their idea whether it is the company itself or the project they are looking to find investments for and then I'll take it out to a group of equity investors and shop it around to different areas that I know that look to invest in these types of things and I'll help to facilitate the introduction between the two groups and basically see what happens from there. That's the main business focus.
"For fun, I'm also involved with the Screen Actors Guild here in (Los Angeles). I do a couple different things with the Screen Actors Guild. For one, if there is a football player on TV, in commercials that you see, generally I'm one of those guys."

Insights: So you're going into acting and doing extra work now?
JA: "I'd say extras stuff but it is sports specific. I do it relating to football so a lot of it would be considered background work but we aren't considered background people in that we're covered under that contract. When it comes to football we're not paid like background players, we're paid a little bit higher because when it comes to football, we're doing something that requires a specific skill. But the production companies, they work through a couple different guys and then there is a group of guys that are former NFL and college athletes. Unfortunately, a lot of them are USC guys but seriously they are a lot of really good people. They basically are a group of us living here in LA and the production companies call a few different folks and say we need a football team for this commercial and can you put that together. Those guys put the call out to us and say 'Can you be at the Rose Bowl or such-and-such a location.' Actually, tomorrow I'll be at the Rose Bowl at 6 a.m. doing a commercial for EBay.
"Over the course of the past couple months I've done two spots with Peyton Manning, something for ESPN, a thing with Reggie Bush. We've done two Nike commercials, one with LaDanian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates and another with Shawn Merriman and Stephen Jackson. It's a lot of fun but it is all with the Screen Actors Guild."

Insights: Have you seen yourself on camera yet?
JA: "Yeah. I've been a principle in quite a few commercials. I don't call it acting because there are people out there who are actors and are good at that kind of thing. For me, it is the fact that I'm a big guy and have a special skill. As far as myself goes, you can recognize me in different commercials, everything from EA Sports to Mastercard to Coors Light. There is a lot more than that but I can't think of it right now."

Insights: Getting back to what you do to pay the bills, what type of investments do you look for?
JA: "I consider there are two sides. On the real estate side of things, I get forwarded deals from a variety of sources, where a real estate developer needs an equity investor to help move a project forward. Speaking only on real estate, I'll take whatever project they are trying to do and go out and research as much as I can about the area where he is trying to do a specific build, be it a large scale residential development, a multi-use commercial type structure and that person might need a certain amount of cash before he get the commercial financing or standard financing. I'll generally turn around and meet with high net worth individuals who can be on projects for a couple years and they'll come in with equity ownership into that project and a new LLC is formed and that LLC, a joint venture between the developer and the investor, is the one that runs the project and ensures the profit from it.
"On the small business side of things, I don't necessarily look for one particular type of company but ones that have good management teams or a project in an underserved area and something that is going to be a little unique or something in the skill set of a management team that is really going to make something stand out. These projects come from a variety of referral sources. Sports agents, they are going to get people sending them business plans where they are like 'Can you get your athlete involved in this?' It's not the sports agent's business to do that and they don't want the liability of referring a project or an investment to a client that is highly speculative and with a certain amount of risk. Those guys might turn that project over to me and say this is the guy, why don't you follow up with him. That's how we progress. That's the gist of what I do right there."

Insights: Is there anything else you're involved in?
JA: "Actually, I do motion video capture work for video games. Most of the video games that are out there right now, I have not worked on EA Sports but everybody else out there, I'm the lineman in the video games. They have different guys for different things but I've worked in motion capture for Microsoft, Sony and a couple other companies that do some smaller football games. I do the lineman stuff and then they transform it to the linemen actions in the game. I never know what the final result of where my exact motions get put into the system because the contract is at the upper level but it is used in the different games. But I've done work with Microsoft and Sony."
-By Michael Rothstein of the Journal Gazette

Around the ND Universe 7/31/07

Some things you know, some things you may have missed and "I Don't Know Butchie, Instead."

Some things you know:

• The Brady Quinn holdout saga continues. Apparently, Quinn has been talking with last year's quarterback holdout, Matt Leinart, about what he went through with Arizona. He also clears up the sports memorabilia fiasco where fans were charged $75 for his autograph.
• One running back returns, one goes. A day after Darius Walker signed with Houston for the second time, the New York Jets  released former Irish back Tony Fisher less than one week after he entered training camp at Hempstead, N.Y. Apparently, Walker looks like a different player from when he was released the first time to his second signing.
• According to Blue and Gold Illustrated, wide receiver recruit Brice Butler will make his college decision this weekend. Notre Dame is among 10 schools still vying for his services.

Some things you may have missed:

• Notre Dame guard Melissa Lechlitner is having a heck of a time representing the United States in the Under-19 World Championships. The Mishawaka, Ind. native set two U-19 American records this week in the United States' win over South Korea. She went 10-for-10 from the free throw line, setting marks for free throws made and free throw percentage. You can follow Lechlitner's progress at the FIBA U-19 World Championship Web site.
• Notre Dame's men's soccer team is ranked No. 11 in the preseason by College Soccer News.
• We're not sure if this means anything, but Rhema McKnight is listed by one paper as a contender for a starting wide receiver slot alongside Marques Colston in New Orleans.
• Former safety Chinedum Ndukwe is being looked at on special teams in Cincinnati's camp.

"I Don't Know Butchie, Instead:"

• According to the above story linked on Brady Quinn, it says Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis called his former pupil, perhaps as a favor to Browns' coach Romeo Crennel. Anyone else think Weis told him it'd be a good idea to get in camp already?
• With less than a week until the beginning of fall practice, we're going to guess the freshmen who see the most playing time the fastest are kicker/punter Brandon Walker, defensive lineman Ian Williams and wide receiver Duval Kamara. This is just a guess based on needs. We figure to get more of a well-rounded idea after the first week of camp.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette
 

Around the ND Universe, 7/30/2007

Some things you know, some things you may have missed and "I Don't Know Butchie, Instead."

Some things you know:

• Legendary coach Bill Walsh, the man who coached former Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana, died after a lengthy battle with leukemia on Monday. Montana called Walsh  "outside of my dad, he was probably the most influential person in my life." Former Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham was also a beneficiary of Walsh, as he was the first assistant coach to go through the minority coaching initiative he helped start in the NFL.
• Brady Quinn is still not in camp -- and is reportedly not even in Cleveland. It may not mean anything with his contract negotiation status but the former Notre Dame quarterback is in Arizona working out.

Some things you may have missed:

• When Notre Dame's men's soccer team (they are good, too, just not as good as the women) plays host to UCLA, the Bruins will be without U.S. Under-20 National Team member Sal Zizzo, who signed a professional contract with Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga. While not good for UCLA, it'll help U.S. men's soccer to have another player gaining valuable experience in Europe. It'll also help the Irish when UCLA comes to South Bend.
• The revolving world of Darius Walker continues. A week after being cut by Houston, he's back in Texans camp trying to latch on as a running back.
• After missing half of the 2006 season with the New York Giants, former defensive end Justin Tuck is back in training camp and healthy again.

"I Don't Know Butchie, Instead:" (Don't get the reference, watch "John From Cincinnati" on HBO. We missed last night's episode -- still filing from the Brickyard -- but we're hoping to catch it tonight and maybe chat about it tomorrow. Anyone else watch it?)

• Notre Dame and Michigan extending until 2031 is a good thing for both schools. It gives the Irish another team to create some scheduling stability (joining USC, Purdue and Navy). It also ensures that a rivalry which is one of the best in college football will continue.
• This could be the start of a trend. New Jersey offensive lineman Art Forst -- someone who Notre Dame was looking at -- decided to stay home and play for in-state Rutgers. Sure, one recruit may not seem like a big deal, but Forst marks another Jersey player staying home.  This will hurt schools like Syracuse -- which used to pillage Jersey for talent every year -- more than Notre Dame, but Weis is proud of his home state and having a strong competitor for players there will make it tougher to pull kids out.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

ND-Michigan to continue

Notre Dame and Michigan will continue their football series through 2031, both schools announced Monday.

The two schools had initially called off the series when the contract expired after the 2011 season, but Irish athletic director Kevin White and Wolverines athletic director Bill Martin worked out the deal to continue the rivalry that started in 1877 but have not played continuously.

“We are thrilled that the series between two premier college football programs will continue uninterrupted for the next 25 years,” Martin said.

Michigan and Notre Dame are the two top teams in Division I wins, winning percentage, television appearances and composite Associated Press poll rankings. The Wolverines lead the Irish in all those categories.

Michigan and Notre Dame and play this season on Sept. 15 in   Ann  Arbor, Mich.

This is good for Notre Dame for many reasons. It will calm a fan base that initially thought the Irish would be dropping both Michigan and Michigan State from the schedule. It also gives the Irish another almost-guaranteed marquee game.

It also means that on paper, Notre Dame's 2012 schedule could be pretty daunting. The Irish will definitely have Michigan, USC, Navy and Purdue. There are also three Big East teams (Nationalchamps.net has Rutgers and Pittsburgh listed, although the site also has Boston College, which won't happen) and the possibility of Baylor in an off-site game and a two-year series with Big 12 power Oklahoma. So that is nine of 12 games scheduled, with at least three marquee names (and if the Irish play Rutgers, by then the Scarlet Knights could be four).

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Around the ND Universe, 7/29/07

Some things you know, some things you may have missed and "I Don't Know Butchie, Instead." This is our attempt at helping to catch you up with the Notre Dame world.

Some things you know:

• Brady Quinn should get into camp already. The shots are coming more frequently at the former Notre Dame posterboy now, this time from the Orlando Sentinel and Chris Harry.
• Former Notre Dame wide receiver Maurice Stovall is going to have a shot to compete for a starting slot in Tampa this year. Bucs coach Jon Gruden seems to like him.
• A Houston Texans blog wishes Darius Walker well. Now, he just needs an NFL home.

Some things you may have missed:

• Former Notre Dame quarterback Joe Theismann has gone a bit preachy. He'll be in Peoria, Ill. on Friday with the "In The Zone" program, talking about life.
• Did Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio want to draft Brady Quinn? Maybe (scroll down halfway through the article).

"I Don't Know Butchie, Instead" (Some things I know, some things I don't and if you don't get the reference, watch John From Cincinnati on HBO.):

• Notre Dame has a really talented women's soccer team. Always has -- at least for the past decade. Shannon Boxx is one of those alums, and she scored in an international friendly Saturday in a tuneup for the Women's World Cup in September. You want the best team sport on campus, year-in, year out, don't look at football -- check out Randy Waldrum's  women in the fall led by reigning Hermann Trophy winner Kerri Hanks.
• We're not really sure we understand exactly what is going on with Notre Dame's football scheduling in the future. First, the Irish drop Michigan. Now Michigan State. We get the want to diversify the schedule and the need to give the Big East, which by 2010 might be every bit as good as the Big Ten, more games. But we're not sure that dropping two rivals and the two games -- with the exception to Purdue -- that are closest to you geographically is the way to go.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Around the ND Universe: 7/28/07

Some things you may have seen, some things you may have missed and a little bit of "I don't know Butchie, Instead."

Things You May Have Seen

• Another take on the death of Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser that shows the relationship between Prosser and Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey.
• More reaction to Charlie Weis' statement following his trial, this time from Journal Gazette columnist Ben Smith.
• Notre Dame is going schedule-crazy: Dropping Michigan, picking up Oklahoma and neutral siting to Orlando, San Antonio and likely Houston.
• Cleveland Browns training camp started -- and Brady Quinn wasn't there.

Things You May Have Missed

• Former Notre Dame running back Tony Fisher signed with the New York Jets after Cedric Houston left camp for personal reasons.
• Former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija continues to struggle in his first season while not playing football for the first time this fall earlier this week. the High Class A Daytona Cubs. Samardzija, who has been blogging with great regularity during his first year, discussed his feelings about
• Remember Darius Walker? Well, as training camps open, he doesn't have a team after being cut by the Houston Texans earlier this week. As of now, he still doesn't have a NFL home.

I Don't Know Butchie, Instead (Some things I know and some things I don't. Don't get the reference? Watch John From Cincinnati on HBO. Highly underrated show.)

• Looking back, Darius Walker made a bad decision leaving early for the NFL. He's already been cut once (Houston) and will likely be in South Bend on Aug. 6 when Notre Dame begins football practice. Instead of being a star this year, he'll be watching from the stands unless he ends up with an NFL team.
• Brady Quinn should probably sign and get into training camp. Everything we read seems to suggest the Browns aren't happy with his holdout -- and if he wants to start this year it'd probably be best for him to tell his agent, Tom Condon, to speed up negotiations. You've got to wonder what Romeo Crennel is thinking. He's already taken a Bill Parcellsian approach to him, calling him "the quarterback," instead of Quinn.
• The Simpsons Movie was really, really good. No Notre Dame references, though. The school -- and the football program -- have been referenced in the TV show before, including in the episodes "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore," and "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday."
• Who will be Notre Dame's starting quarterback? Right now, ask five people and you'll get three different answers (Evan Sharpley, Demetrius Jones and Jimmy Clausen). This is a question no one will know the answer to for at least another week.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

If you haven't noticed...

We're (finally) back for good. It's been three months, two on special assignment and then a month-long vacation back to New York, but we're here and ready to embark on the next Notre Dame season.

Actually, we're at the Brickyard right now covering this weekend's NASCAR race but after that, it's all about Notre Dame. Just a preview of what we plan on giving you this year:

-Continued practice reports. They seemed to work well last year and with all the position battles going on, they'll probably be more excitement and speculation than last year.

-More virtual seasoning and predictions. We're picking up NCAA 2008 in a few days so we're properly prepared. Plus, we're in the midst of reading the football Bible (a.k.a. The Phil Steele guide) so we don't miss anything around college football.

-Hopefully, more interaction as well. Tell us who you want us to look at and break down. We'll do our best to get to as many as possible.

-Mailbags. Send us your questions and we'll have weekly (bi-weekly, depending on participation) responses and commenting. Send the questions to [email protected]. Start now. And feel free to make your questions about football, basketball, lacrosse, Chipotle, the new season of Entourage, whatever you'd like.

We're also open to suggestions here. If you have any, drop us an e-mail and we'll take it into consideration.
-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Brey on Prosser

Notre Dame men's basketball coach Mike Brey knew former Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser well. Prosser died of a heart attack while jogging this morning in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was 56.

Brey and Prosser spent time together in Kuwait in May as part of Operation Hardwood to visit United States troops based in the Middle East. The coaches also led teams of military players in a basketball tournament and Prosser’s team beat Brey’s group.

Brey also was replacing Prosser on the NCAA men’s basketball rules committee.

“This is an extremely sad day for the coaching profession and for me personally because Skip was such a good friend,” Brey said in a statement. "He was one of the great men in education. I wish my son (Kyle) could have played for Skip Prosser."

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Harden Picks A Spot

Former Notre Dame guard/forward Joe Harden picked a place to transfer to earlier this week. The Record (Stockton, Calif.) said the Acampo, Calif. native will attend UC Davis and be eligible for the 2008-09 season.

It's a perfect spot for Harden, actually, considering in the story he said he's chosen a new major, too. He's majoring in viticulture and enology, otherwise known as winemaking.

"That might be my new niche," Harden told the Record. "I want to go into business with my dad and be a wine guy and a farmer."

For those who don't know where Davis, Calif. is -- it is 45 minutes from Napa, the heart of winemaking in the United States. As for basketball, UC Davis plays in the Big West Conference and finished its 2006-07 season with a 5-23 record under head coach Gary Stewart. UC Davis is a new Division I program, having just finished its four-year probationary period for moving from Division II to D-I.
-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Zibby On Thorpe List

Fifth-year senior safety Tom Zbikowski is one of 35 players named to the preseason Thorpe Award watch list. The Thorpe Award is given annually to the nation's best defensive back.
The list will be cut to 10 semi-finalists in November.

The other preseason candidates: Jamar Adams, Sr., Michigan; Josh Barrett, Sr., Arizona State; Zackary Bowman, Sr., Nebraska; Tony Carter, Jr., Florida State; Antoine Cason, Sr., Arizona; Simeon Castille, Sr., Alabama; Quintin Demps, Sr., UTEP; Brandon Flowers, Jr., Virginia Tech; Courtney Greene, Jr., Rutgers; Michael Hamlin, Jr., Clemson; Nic Harris, Jr., Oklahoma; Victor Harris, Jr., Virginia Tech; Jonathan Hefney, Sr., Tennessee; Chris Horton, Sr., UCLA; Malcolm Jenkins, Jr., Ohio State; Tyrell Johnson, Sr., Arkansas State; Dennis Keyes, Sr., UCLA; Justin King, Jr., Penn State; Jamal Lewis, Sr., Georgia Tech; Dwight Lowery, Sr., San Jose State; Taylor Mays, Soph., USC; Mike Mickens, Jr., Cincinnati; Paul Oliver, Sr., Georgia; Derek Pegues, Jr., Mississippi State; Kenny Phillips, Jr., Miami (Fla.); Myron Rolle, Soph., Florida State; Reggie Smith, Jr., Oklahoma; Marty Tadman, Sr., Boise State; Aqib Talib, Jr., Kansas; Terrell Thomas, Sr., USC; DeJuan Tribble, Sr., Boston College; Eric Wicks, Sr., West Virginia; Terrence Wheatley, Sr., Colorado; Trae Williams, Sr., South Florida.
-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette