Finke Happy For Scholarships, Wants Irish To Focus

Notre Dame receiver Chris Finke experienced the moment Mick Assaf and Colin Grunhard had on Christmas morning. 

Both players received scholarships and the senior captain senior made sure to give them the same treatment he got. 

"I kicked them out of the group chat for about five minutes and then put them back in," said Finke. "That's all the punishment there is. That's what happened to me. Once WOPU (Walk-On Players Union), always WOPU." 

The team gave Assaf and Grunhard the same reaction Finke experienced when he was put on scholarship in August of 2016.

"I think everyone was really excited about it as people always are," Finke stated. "Everyone kind of swarmed the two of them. They had a big smile on their face. We all share in each other's joy." 

Assaf is a team and media favorite due to his outgoing personality and sense of humor. 

While the Atlanta native is known for being funny, Assaf is respected amongst his peers on the football field. 

"He's a high energy guy all the time," explained Finke. "I think the best way to describe relative to the team is he cares so much about the team and all the people on it. He would give anything he has for it. It's being rewarded, which is good to see." 

As for the week, the Irish took in Universal Studios on Tuesday and Finke expected his teammates to be locked in for Wednesday's practice. 

"We're just talking about being able to separate when it's time to work and time to have fun," stated Finke. "They're taking us to Universal and all that kind of stuff. Just locking into meetings and taking what we've talked on to the field and executing it. Then having fun when it's time to have fun."

Is focus a concern for Finke? 

"We'll see today," said Finke. "Today's practice will be pretty important."