The last time Victor Abiamiri and Ambrose Wooden played on a field in Baltimore, they were wreaking havoc against Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference schools as members of Gilman?s football team.
When the pair steps onto the M&T Bank Stadium field Saturday, it will be as visiting college seniors with hopes of helping Notre Dame defeat Navy for a 43rd consecutive year. While Abiamiri and Wooden are both enjoying being a part of the Fighting Irish?s 6-1 start, the season has been mixed for them individually.
Abiamiri, a defensive end, enters Saturday?s game with 26 tackles, including a team-highs of six sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss and 11 quarterback hurries. His performance led him to be one of 28 players selected to the midseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award. Still, the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Randallstown native knows he has more work to do.
“I?m my own worst critic,” he said. I feel I?ve gotten better from my freshman to senior year, but I have a long way to go to become the player I know I can be.”
Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said during his weekly press conference that Abiamiri is a player other teams have to game-plan for.
“There?s a lot of people with athletic ability that don?t have a high motor, and he goes high on every play,” Weis said. “It presents a problem week in and week out for any defense that we go against.”
Wooden, a defensive back from Baltimore, has been plagued by knee and head injuries that forced him to miss a month. During that time, he lost his starting job to junior Terrail Lambert. Wooden started all 12 games last year and the first three this season before getting hurt.
Still, the 5-foot-7, 197-pound Wooden expects to play a lot in front of friends and family this weekend. He will be put in during nickel defensive packages, something Notre Dame uses frequently.
“I?m feeling good right now and ready to get back and contribute,” Wooden said. “This is the first time I?ve played at home since I stepped off the field against McDonogh in high school, and it?s going to be awesome to play in front of friends and family, some of whom have never seen me play before.”
Notre Dame notes
» Ambrose Wooden was third for Notre Dame last season with 74 tackles. He also had two interceptions, five broken passes and a fumble recovery. He has 11 tackles so far this year. He was mainly a quarterback at Gilman, where he finished with career totals of 4,033 yards rushing and 46 touchdowns, along with 3,228 passing yards and 30 scores.
» Victor Abiamiri was a second-team 2006 preseason All-America defensive end. He started all 12 games at defensive end in 2005, finishing with 48 tackles (15 for a loss), eight sacks, two deflected passes, seven quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
