Mack's Growth Leading To Production
From injuries to suspensions former four-star tight end Alize Mack’s first few years at Notre Dame weren’t smooth sailing, but in the off-season, something changed in the senior.
“A low point was the suspension my sophomore year and then the bowl game,” explained Mack. “When it all started to come together I would say January. I came back, and I told myself I was going to do things differently, grow up, be a man, put my head down and start working.
“I am happy with how much I have grown, I know I have a long way to go, but I am happy.”
Mack missed the Northwestern game due to a concussion but has shown why the Irish were so high on him in 2015 with how he has played in the rest.
Coming off the first multiple touchdown game of his college career on senior night, the big tight end has seen his hard work paying off.
“It was great a feeling,” explained Mack. “I told Coach, ‘I told you.’ That is what I love to do, just go up and get, that is what I am good at, 36-inch vertical at 6-foot-5. I have fun going up, getting the ball and Brandon (Wimbush) trusted me and the coaches trusted me to do that and I was able to pull down two.
“Something I have been waiting and praying on for a long time, and I couldn’t have asked for a better night for it to happen on senior night, my last home game.”
The 6-foot-5, 247-pounder has been a reliable pass-catcher and blocker for the Notre Dame offense this season. He has caught a career-high 30 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns in nine games.
Even through the lows, Mack knew his production would come.
“I have always been confident in myself. It is just building a confidence between the quarterback and the coaches.”
“I know what I can do. I do it day in and day out in practice; you guys have just started to see it on Saturday.
We have seen the athleticism and receiving skills so far this season, but the little things that don’t show up on the stat-sheet are what the senior tight end has been working so hard to perfect.
He knows what it is going to take to translate his game to the next level.
“It is just being an overall tight end, and I knew I needed to do that coming in,” Mack informed. “If you want to have a future beyond this level you have to be an all-around guy. So, that is what I focus on if the ball comes to me great, but if not so be it.”
Mack and Wimbush connected twice for six last week against Florida State with Ian Book out on injury, but since the switch to Book in week four the former Bishop Gorman star started to be more involved in the offense.
“Ian he is a confident pocket passer, he can kill you with his legs, and he can kill you with his arm,” praised Mack. “He has great accuracy. He is calm, cool and collected out there on the field so when you see your quarterback a leader it helps everyone out on the field.”