In the high-pressure world of college football, few units instill more fear in opposing teams than the Notre Dame linebackers. The 1995 team's powerful “headbangers” included Corey Minor, Bertrand Berry, Ryron Cobbins and Quinon Tatum. Known for their fearless play and sheer physicality, these linebackers combined strength and speed to overwhelm opponents. Under the guidance of defensive coordinator Bob Davie, they became a powerful unit that was vital to Notre Dame's success.
The Headbangers' impact is undeniable. From Tatum's game-changing hit against USC to Cobbins' season-ending interception and tackle, they made crucial plays that turned the tide in key games. In this blog post, we'll dig into the story of Notre Dame's linebackers, highlighting their incredible feats on the field and highlighting why they are one of the best units in the nation. Meet the men who made up the backbone of the Irish defense and learn how their relentless drive and skill made them a nightmare for opposing teams.
The following excerpt is taken from Scholastic Magazine's 1995 Football Review (page 16), written by T. Ryan Kennedy.
Headbanger
T. Ryan Kennedy
The third quarter had just ended. Notre Dame had mocked the doubters, outshooting Air Force, 37-7. One of ESPN's sideline cameras zoomed in on two of the four players shouldering the greatest burden of the Irish's five-game winning streak: Ryron Cobbins and Kynon Tatum. They were beaming, and with good reason.
Seconds earlier, Cobbins had sealed the game. Falcons quarterback Beau Morgan was moving left and preparing to pass. Cobbins read the play and dropped in front of the tight end. He got the ball in a receiver's position and ran fullback-like down the field for 33 yards to the Air Force 4-yard line. It was his fifth interception in four games and led to Marcus Thorne's final touchdown for the Irish.
Here are Notre Dame's starting linebackers: No. 4, freshman Corey Minor, No. 13, junior Bertrand Berry, No. 6, junior Ryron Cobbins and No. 2, junior Kynon Tatum.
They call themselves the “Headbangers” and for good reason. They play fearlessly, but they should be feared. They're stronger than many defensive linemen and can run with anyone, no matter how fast they are. Just ask Bo Morgan, but he wasn't the one who nearly got his head chopped off by Tatum. That was Southern California's Deron Washington.
There's no need to speculate at this point: The Headbangers are arguably one of the best linebacker corps in the country. They're the product of defensive coordinator Bob Davie, whose style is two-fold: speed over size and the ability to make big plays.
“They made some of the best plays of the whole team,” Davey said.
In fact, you could argue Tatum's play against USC was game-changing and season-changing for Notre Dame. Well, it almost was.
“The turning point of the season was that hit by Ivory Covington against Army,” Berry asserts. “That was a defining moment. We were in a bind. As a team and as a unit, we carried that momentum into the USC game. We were full speed ahead against USC.”
Notre Dame led 6-0 and USC had the ball at the Notre Dame 3-yard line, looking to take the lead. The Trojans had been moving the ball without much difficulty up to that point in the game, but then 6-foot-tall, 216-pound Quinon Tatum delivered one of the hardest hits Notre Dame had seen in years. USC tailback Deron Washington had just picked up the ball on a handoff up the middle on second down when Tatum took his foot off and leapt over the USC fullback, confusing Washington and knocking the ball flying. Washington fell to the ground as if shot out of a cannon, and Berry recovered.
Check out more of Quinones' hits in this video:
“When you see a kid make a play like that, it's a credit to the whole defense,” Davey said, trying to hide his boyish glee at remembering the hit. “He went up in the air. He was parallel to the ground, flat, he was down. Plays like that just don't happen. He put his whole body on the line.”
Later in the game, sack maestro Corey Minor made the most important play of his Notre Dame career when he blitzed quarterback Kyle Wachholtz for his first safety. The safety made the score 23-10, but the damage wasn't done yet. Notre Dame scored on the next possession. In a way, Minor's sack counted for 10 points.
Cobbins had two interceptions in the game, but Berry pressured Wachholtz and forced a pass on a third-down-and-goal situation with seven seconds left in the half. Both of these plays confused the Trojans and helped Ron Paulus and the offense score 38 points against a team that hadn't allowed more than 16 points all year.
“Next year, we want to be a team that everyone is watching,” Berry said. “We want to make big plays on defense, but we also want our offense to be able to score. Who's to say the defense can't score?”
The 6-foot-1, 241-pound Cobbins ran his own one-man offense. He finished the year with five interceptions (more than any other player in the secondary), three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and three pass breakups. He broke the record with 100 tackles against Navy.
By comparison, Notre Dame's leading tackler last season was Brian McGee, with 81. Along with Berry, Cobbins was considered a candidate for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker.
“As an achievement for Liron, [last year] “He should have started more. He started against Air Force,” Davey asserted. “What I noticed is they've got to put in a little bit of work. We've got to address that with Corey Minor. We're going to make sure he works hard in the offseason and puts in the effort.” The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Minor finished with six sacks, ranking him among the NBA's all-time sack leaders.
On the other side is the quiet, ubiquitous Bert Berry. The fact that he's from Humble, Texas, might explain his modesty, but Berry might be the most talented of the four. For starters, he's recorded a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. He also led the '94 team with six sacks off the bench, though the missed ones weren't his fault. In 1994, when Michigan's Todd Collins managed to complete a pass that set up Michigan's winning field goal, it was Berry who put Collins in position for a piledrive.
Last spring, defensive end Melvin Dansby suffered a neck injury and Coach Davie had to rotate players, moving Berry from rush end to drop end, a move that may have frustrated some players and left others ineffective, but Berry chose to thrive.
“Culver really helped me because I could get away from everyone,” Berry said. “That was the biggest thing for me in terms of honing my skills and preparing mentally.”
As for the change in jersey number from 60 to 13, Berry said it's purely psychological: “The number change is an attitudinal adjustment. It makes you look better, you're more athletic. It's a little bit of a different mindset and it creates more unity within the group because it's a lower number.”
“When I think about Bert Berry, I think of a totally unselfish player,” Davey says. “He's probably playing out of his natural position, but look what he does anyway.”
Davie is like a mad scientist. He's like Dr. Frankenstein. He came to Notre Dame because Texas A&M Two years ago, Davie quickly built this monster, a linebacker machine that's only gotten better as time went on. In his nine years coaching at A&M, every one of his starting linebackers was drafted into the NFL, and he's looking to set a similar record at Notre Dame. “There's something about the style of play that you create,” Davie said. “When you see the guys play, it motivates the team.”
According to Davie, the defensive line is undersized, which pushes guys like Renaldo Wynn and Corey Bennett aside and puts pressure on the linebackers. The constant pressure wears them out. But with the tall Dansby returning next season, the defensive line will start to get some size. This will give the linebackers a chance to make some bigger plays next year.
They call themselves the Headbangers, but don't confuse them with the Horsemen. They're big fans of the menacing face shields and they attack hard, brutally hard, but cleanly. Three of the four are masters of the tackle, and the other is a master of the sack.
Someone should remind Washington to hold its head up and wrap its arms around the ball painfully tight, because the Headbangers will all be back next year.
As the season progressed, the Headbangers solidified themselves as one of the most formidable linebacker units in college football. Their relentless drives, combined with a blend of power and agility, swung games in Notre Dame's favor and left opponent after opponent bruised in their wake. Under the guidance of Bob Davie, they evolved into a cohesive team capable of dominating any offense. With each bone-crunching tackle and game-changing play, the Headbangers proved they weren't just defenders, they were the heartbeat of the Irish defense.
Calling all Fighting Irish fans! Do you have a Notre Dame football memory you'd like to share? We want to hear about an iconic win, an outstanding player performance, a key moment in Fighting Irish history, or anything else. Submit your suggestions for future Throwback Thursday columns. Together, we can continue to celebrate the rich tradition of Notre Dame football.
You can also read more stories from Bertrand Berry, Corey Minor, and Quinon Tatum in my second book, MORE Echoes From the End Zone – The Men We Became (use code FREESHIP for free shipping!).
Until next time, cheers and GO IRISH!
