Even as he doesn’t technically fit the dictionary definition of a real football player, kicker David Ruffer was one of the most effective offensive weapons Brian Kelly had in his first year as a head coach at Notre Dame.
Now, the walk-on is hoping to get another season in South Bend.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Ruffer is one of six Irish players who have applied for a fifth season through the school’s Faculty Board on Athletics. Another of the players is safety Harrison Smith, who has started the past 25 games and had three interceptions in 2010.
The other four players are Taylor Dever (no relation), Gary Gray, Andrew Nuss and Mike Ragone. Dever and Gray were starters in 2010.
A decision on their applications for a fifth year won’t be known until March or April, although the South Bend Tribune writes that they “likely will” be granted that additional season.
Last season, Ruffer was 18-for-19 in field goal attempts, with his only miss coming in the Sun Bowl win over Miami. For his career, he’s 23-of-24. If he’s granted an extra season, he will drop the walk-on tag as Kelly has already stated that he will be on scholarship if he’s on the team in 2011.