Notre Dame Football: Brian Kelly's "Next Man In" Philosophy Is Working Wonders

In the game of football, on the collegiate level in this instance, teams are likely to lose certain players to injuries, suspensions, etc. Those teams can't afford to miss a beat in the absence of one of those players.

So how is it that a team is able to keep on track and maintain pace when one of its key cogs isn't able to take the field? That's where Brian Kelly's next-man-in philosophy comes in.

Take last season, for example. Starting quarterback Dayne Crist went down with a season-ending knee injury in the initial moments of an eventual loss to Tulsa. The fans were thinking that the fate of the season took a southern turn at the tear of Crist's ligament.

Those fans were quick to assume. Backup quarterback Tommy Rees, who Notre Dame fans have all come to love, took Crist's place and led the Irish to four consecutive victories. That may be the best example of Kelly's mantra.

Yet, there may not be a more heartwarming anecdote than that of junior receiver Robby Toma. The Hawaiian native, who came to the mainland with Manti Te'o, was forced into action last season when Theo Riddick suffered a high ankle sprain against Western Michigan.

Having lacked significant action in his career, many assumed that the offense would take a blow in Riddick's absence. Those who were doubtful shouldn't have been, just like with Tommy Rees.

Toma came in and made an immediate impact, starting two contests for his Fighting Irish squad.

Deemed too small to make significant contributions at the major college level, Toma went out and proved the doubters wrong. He filled in admirably for Riddick, recording 14 receptions for 187 yards.

Luckily for Toma, that experience would come in handy.

An exact replica of the Riddick injury situation of last season arose last week before the Maryland game.

Toma was, again, called into action, and seemed as if he had been the starter at slot receiver all season. He cut his way through the Maryland secondary on the way to seven receptions for 73 yards.

Asked if he was ready for duty following the conclusion of Notre Dame's 45-21 victory over the Terrapins, Toma had the following to say.

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"The ones and twos get about the same amount of reps at practice. The tempo doesn't change. Coach Kelly and his staff do a real good job of getting everybody ready."

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Just another example of Kelly's next-man-in plan at work.

Kelly, who is usually quite reserved when speaking about the inner-workings of his program and team, was willing to give a few tidbits in his weekly Sunday teleconference.

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"Even though you might not be getting first-team reps, you'd better be ready because that's how you build a football program. There are going to be injuries. There are going to be times when you're called upon. You can't let your teammates down."

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If the team continues to have success stories with twos replacing ones during critical stretches, injuries won't be such a devastating factor, as it usually is.

Next man in? No problem. Keep working. Keep winning.