Notre Dame legacy to follow brother

Offensive guard/defensive end Austin Giles from Marshfield, Mass., knows what is like at the next level, having a brother currently participating in the college ranks. Will the super junior follow his brother or does he have other plans?

The 6-foot-3, 270-pound athlete runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds and is in his second year as a two-way starter. He feels, however, that he will most likely play defensive end in college.

“I am versatile, and it doesn’t take long for me to learn a new position,” he said. “I know what happens on every play.”

Austin squats 475 pounds, bench presses 320 pounds, and claims a 24-inch vertical leap. As a junior this past season he was named Player of the Year in his area and honorable mention all-scholastic after recording 64 tackles and seven sacks. He is an excellent athlete and also plays basketball and baseball. He will be one of the most heavily recruited players in New England for 2005.

Giles is the younger brother of Notre Dame junior center Zach Giles and said, although he admires his brother, he also wants to make a name for himself.

“Definitely my brother,” he commented when asked which college athletes he looked up to. “I always try to make people forget about him.”

Austin said Michigan, Notre Dame, and BC are the schools at the top of his list, and that he is already being recruited by Notre Dame, Penn State, BC, Michigan, and Ohio State. BC appears to be the most interested at this point. He attended the BC-Miami game this fall and camped at BC, Penn State, and Notre Dame over the summer.

“Definitely a good education is number one,” he commented on his criteria for a school. “It is mainly academics, but I am also looking at good school spirit and a good football program.”

Giles made the honor roll for the first time last term and took the PSAT in September. He is still awaiting the results from that exam and will take the SAT in April.