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SOUTH BEND — Even now, six years into his Notre Dame football career, All-America defensive tackle Howard Cross III still needs to rehearse.
Before he can do great things on the field, Cross must be a dominant force in his mind.
“Visualization for me is just (picturing) myself doing great,” Cross said this week as the 12th-ranked Irish prepared to face unranked Stanford. “Visualize what you want to do, and you’re going to do it.”
That could mean asking the scout team offensive linemen to simulate precise blocking techniques Cross expects to encounter after poring over reams of game tape. On his way to a team-leading nine quarterback pressures, Cross has banked dozens, if not hundreds, of positive repetitions in practice.
“I’ll ask the scout team guys: ‘Hey, throw this hip’ or ‘Do this specific thing,’ “ Cross said, “because he’s going to be doing this.”
“He” is the opposing center or guard Cross expects to butt heads with 50-plus times on a typical Saturday.
His namesake father, who starred at Alabama and became a Super Bowl champion as a New York Giants tight end, has trained his son in the power of visualization. As kickoff draws ever closer, the younger Cross will rehearse himself into a near trance of positive mental outcomes, even as he’s killing time in his apartment.
“My dad is like, ‘Walk around the house and practice your hands,’ “ Cross said.
They don’t call him “Fast-Hands Howard” for nothing.
The skull sessions continue, even after Notre Dame’s pregame prayer circle as a defense. While many Irish players bob to the beat of their favorite music, noise-canceling headphones soothing their pregame jitters, Cross can be seen Facetiming his family as he ambles slowly across the field.
“I call my dad all the time,” Cross said. “I try to call him when I’m on…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-football-players-coaches-080542854.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2024-10-11 08:05:42
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