Darrin Walls Class: Junior Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA High School: Woodland Hills Height / Weight: 6-0 / 180 Position: Defensive Cornerback Birthdate: 06/20/1988

CAREER: Very promising second-year player will push Terrail Lambert and Ambrose Wooden for playing time while competing to be the nickel back in Notre Dame's defense ... solid option in the defensive secondary also adds to the depth of the team by returning kicks on special teams ... appeared in eight games as a rookie and recorded four tackles with one pass break-up ... also averaged 16.8 on five kickoff returns.

2006 (FRESHMAN): Exciting, young player who was used as both a cornerback and kick returner ... played in eight games during first year and made four tackles on defense ... returned five kickoffs for 84 yards with a long return of 28 yards ... covered All-American Calvin Johnson at Georgia Tech and helped limit him to two receptions for 16 yards in the second half ... returned two kickoffs for 44 yards with a long return of 28 yards against Purdue ... gained 40 yards on three kickoff returns vs. Stanford ... made 24 special teams appearances and collected 61:16 of playing time.

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Graduated from Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. ... second-team defensive back on USA Today prep All-America squad for 2005 ... rated 32nd on list of top 100 prep players nationally by USA Today ... rated 29th on list of top 100 players nationally by Chicago Sun-Times ... first-team All-America defensive back by CSTV ... rated 51st on list of top 100 players in the nation by Dallas Morning News ... rated 25th on list of top 150 players nationally by CollegeFootballNews.com ... made 22 tackles, 14 of them solo, and one interception as senior in '05 ... rushed 29 times for 235 yards and four TDs in 2005 ... four-year letter-winner who finished with 124 career tackles, 80 of them solo, and 16 interceptions ... helped Woodland Hills Senior High School team in Pittsburgh, Pa., to '05 WPIAL Class 4A state title game where it lost 19-7 to McKeesport ... selected for U.S. Army All-American Bowl prep all-star game ... second-team pick as defensive back on Associated Press Pennsylvania all-state team ... picked to All-Class 4A team as defensive back by Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ... named to Tribune-Review Terrific 25 team ... rated 45th on '05 preseason list of top players nationally (and fifth among defensive backs) by The Sporting News ... one of seven cornerbacks on '05 national preseason top 100 list by CBS SportsLine.com ... made 53 tackles and six interceptions and also broke up 30 passes as junior in 2004, while also rushing for 550 yards and 11 TDs, and catching six passes for 230 yards and three TDs ... helped Woodland Hills to WPIAL title as freshman in 2002 ... from same high school that produced Jason Taylor (Miami Dolphin all-pro) ... father Darrin Sr. played basketball at Waynesburg College where he's the school's all-time leading scorer ... born June 20, 1988 ... high school coach was George Novak ... enrolled in College of Arts and Letters.