Kareem Orr will be very busy for Irish this season

KAREEM ORRNotre Dame• Receiver/athlete/defensive back• 6-0, 190• Committed to Louisville• Coach's quote: "He has that 'it' factor that's hard to explain, but he just makes plays that a lot of guys can't." - Charles Fant

Notre Dame athlete Kareem Orr, ranked No. 3 among area high school senior college football prospects, will leave the field this year only when the Irish are covering punts. He is expected to line up at receiver, running back and quarterback offensively, at safety on defense and covering and returning kickoffs and returning punts. The 6-foot, 190-pounder, a Louisville commitment, recently sat down with the Times Free Press before his last prep season.

Q: How many scholarship offers did you have and from whom, and what did Louisville have that made you decide on that program?

A: "I had 14 total offers. I don't remember all of them, but the ones I do recall are Duke, Cincinnati, MTSU, East Carolina, Samford and Appalachian State. I made an unofficial visit to Louisville and waited two days after they offered to commit. It was a close race. I really liked Duke, which has the education, but Louisville has more of a chance to compete for a national championship. I liked Louisville's coaching staff, and I hit it off well with their defensive backs coach (Greg Brown). I liked the way he was teaching defensive backs."

Q: Is your commitment to Louisville solid?

A: "They tell me I have a good chance of getting on the field as a freshman, maybe at safety and maybe as a nickel back. I will probably get some reps at wide receiver, too. At one time I was interested in Ohio State, but they never offered. They still send me stuff. I am still going to take official visits. I'm planning on going to Cincinnati, and I'd like to visit Miami."

Q: You once scored four touchdowns against Sequatchie County. What's your favorite sports moment?

A: "The first time I learned to cut. I was young, about 5, and when I got the ball I always ran outside. My dad kept preaching to me, 'All you do is run outside.' He said I needed to learn how to cut. I finally did it one day and gained another 5 yards. I started scoring more touchdowns after that."

Q: What are things about you few people know?

A: "I'm a nice guy off the field. Sometimes people at other schools don't know me and think I'm a jerk. Once they get to know me they realize I'm not. And I like romantic stories, movies like 'When Harry Met Sally.' I also like the [newer] Tarzan movies."

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.

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