Samardzija facing career choice

Terry Rooney may have worn purple and yellow and sat among a sea of LSU fans during the Tigers' 41-14 victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night, but a small part of him was rooting for someone else.

Rooney is the pitching coach for the LSU baseball team, but until this past season, Notre Dame was his home and Jeff Samardzija was his star pupil.

"LSU pays the bills now, but I wanted Jeff to score four or five touchdowns," Rooney said. "It was an emotional game; I worked with him for three years on a daily basis."

A two-sport athlete at Notre Dame, Samardzija was an All-American wide receiver in the fall and the Irish's right-handed ace in the spring. Following his junior year, when he earned All-Big East Conference honors, the 21-year-old was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, ending his stint as an amateur pitcher.

Now, with his collegiate athletic career officially over, Samardzija stands at a crossroads. Football? Baseball? Both?

"Jeff just likes to compete, no matter what sport it is, football or baseball," Rooney said. "Obviously, athleticism has allowed him to succeed at the highest level in both sports."

Samardzija's had plenty of success on the diamond and the gridiron. He was named an All-American after his football exploits in 2005 and finished as the school's career leader in numerous categories. As a Notre Dame pitcher, he compiled a 21-6 record and a 3.82 ERA. And he's followed that up quickly in the pros.

In seven starts with Boise of the short-season Northwest League and Class A Peoria of the Midwest League, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound right-hander posted a 2.70 ERA.

"There's nothing that Jeff doesn't have as a pitcher that wouldn't allow him to succeed and reach the Majors," Rooney said. "He has all the physical components: size, arm action, everything's there from the physical standpoint."

Samardzija entered Notre Dame's baseball program as an All-State center fielder from Valparaiso, Ind., with little pitching experience. But his size alone was enough to convince the coaching staff that his career would be on the mound.

"When he arrived freshman year, we weren't sure what we had," Rooney said. "The first time he picked up a baseball (in college) was after his last regular-season football game, so he only had two weeks to throw with us before the holiday. He has good arm action and strength, it was pretty easy to see he had some type of future."

Physical size and strength have made Samardzija successful. And, according to Rooney, his success as a college football player has played a significant role in his pitching.

"He plays on a stage in front of 70,000 or 80,000 fans," he explained. "He exudes confidence. When you're a pitcher, it's 1-on-1, it's all about you. That confidence from football has definitely translated into baseball for him."

In which direction that confidence leads him all depends on Samardzija.

"He's going to be successful in whatever he chooses, no doubt about that," Rooney said. "But if anyone in the world can balance both, it's Jeff Samardzija."