Brian Kelly remains quiet amidst allegations
In just his first season with the Fighting Irish, Brian Kelly has done fairly well at handling the pressure that comes with a prestigious college program. However, the Notre Dame coach has also had to deal with a number of off-field issues, including a recent
allegation against one of the team's own.
According to a recent report by the Chicago Tribune, Elizabeth Seeberg, a freshman at nearby St. Mary’s College, reported to the Notre Dame police that she had been sexually assaulted by a member of the Irish football team on 31 August.
On 10 September, less than two weeks after she reported the incident, Seeberg, who had been dealing with depression, died of a prescription pill overdose at a local hospital.
Amidst the turmoil, the player in question has continued to play for the Irish. He has yet to be identified because no formal charges have been filed. Kelly, meanwhile, remains mum on the subject, citing the fact that the investigation remains an in-house matter.
"This is a university matter," the coach reiterated several times, according to
ESPNChicago.com. "I’m certainly, from my standpoint, in accord with our university relative to the principles that I talked about. We’re going through that process. I don’t want to be short or seem as though I have canned answers, because I don’t, other
than the fact that I know the university has got a process in place for things of this nature."
Regardless of how the situation plays out, Kelly maintains that he only intends to bring individuals with character and class to his football program. He even went on to reference a list of requirements posted in the squad’s locker room, one of which acknowledges
that women should be treated with respect.
"I can tell you what I believe as a parent, I can tell you what I believe as a football coach and, you know, the commandments that we have are very, very important. I’ve been a head football coach for 20 years and I can tell you emphatically that I want the
right kind of guys.
"And those values are important to me and they’ve been the cornerstone of everything I’ve done in my football program. And I will continue to do that here at the University of Notre Dame."
Tags: