Notre Dame CB Troy Pride Jr. gets green light to run track

SOUTH BEND — Freshman cornerback Troy Pride Jr. appears to have the green light to add track and field to his busy spring.

According to Pride’s mother, Angela, the Greer, S.C., product got the go-ahead from football coach Brian Kelly this week to add a second sport.

Pride is the reigning South Carolina AAA state champ in the 100-meter dash (10.55 seconds), the 200 (21.28) and the 400 (48.28). He also ran a leg last spring on Greer’s state title-winning 400 relay team (42.20).

The Irish have a long history of standout football players excelling in track, with Holtz-Era players Raghib Ismail, Allen Rossum and Randy Kinder all earning All-America honors for the Irish in track.

Others from the past couple of decades, including Bobby Brown, Dwight Elick, Willie Clark and — more recently during the Kelly Era — Josh Atkinson, George Atkinson III and Bennett Jackson.