Linebacker Brandon Hoyte was my favorite Notre Dame Fighting Irish player of the Tyrone Willingham era. I have five incontrovertible reasons why the 6-foot, 236 pound linebacker was the best:
- Brandon grew up in New Jersey. I grew up in New Jersey.
- Brandon lived in Dillon Hall. I lived in Dillon Hall. (It’s all right to be jealous.)
- Brandon ran Bullwinkle’s, Dillon Hall’s hole-in-the-wall fast-food establishment. I ran Bullwinkle’s before him. (I probably ran into the ground. Someone better call Eric Saul about that.)
- Brandon lived on the first floor of Dillon Hall kind of across the hall from me.