By John Brice
Special Contributor
Notre Dame’s hottest day of its 2023 spring camp has Fighting Irish defensive line coach Al Washington, black leprechaun hoodie in place, looking as though he’s finishing a workout every bit as intense as that of the players.
Still, Washington has time to dispense a coming-of-age tale about Jordan Botelho, Notre Dame’s hybrid-position-playing defensive lineman.
“I can tell you a story. So last year, Jordan was a linebacker,” says Washington, careful to impart words of encouragement and motivation to each player in his position group as they wrap up interviews inside the Irish Athletics Center. “He moved to Vyper midway through the year and it was hard for him to get on the field. He was behind some guys that are going to the NFL. So there was a natural frustration.”
The plot thickens as the night air gives way to mornings in South Bend, Indiana.
“So there was a point last year where Jordan made a point to come to me and say, ‘Coach, can you please watch film with me?,’” Washington recalls. “And he would be there at 6:30 in the morning, before the day would even start. And we would watch his plays. Most times when you do that with a kid, they expect instant results, but it didn’t happen.
“Like three weeks went by, maybe more. He’s still coming in, still watching film with me. Right then and there, I said this kid is about the right stuff.”
Then, an evidentiary moment reveals Botelho’s habits. Actually, two of them – the first and second sacks of Botelho’s career arrive in the Irish’s resounding road-win Oct. 29, 2022, at Syracuse.
“Syracuse game, he gets in and he has two sacks,” Washington says. “It was one of the coolest moments for me. He’s always got a chip on his shoulder, which I love, I played with the same thing (at Boston College), and he came off the field and said, ‘Stop playing with me Coach! Stop playing with me!’
“And I said, ‘I see the work you been putting in.’”
Botelho sees physical evidence of his work; he’s up 15 pounds to around 260 but “has the same speed, just a little more power to handle the tackles.”
The Honolulu, Hawaii, native and former consensus four-star prospect from national powerhouse St. Louis High School also is rounding out his on-field availability after three seasons primarily as a menacing figure on Notre Dame’s special teams coverage units.
“Coach Wash really emphasizes technique,” says…