Notre Dame’s Chris James to push himself in offseason

NILES — One day after his football season ended at Notre Dame, Chris James went to Twitter to express some of his thoughts.

James, who uses the Twitter handle @CantB3Stopped, tweeted, “Just wrote out all of my goals for this off-season. #GrindTime”

James didn’t reveal those goals on Monday at the school, but the senior said he will be working out at Notre Dame’s gym after taking some time off to rest his body. He said the training will be as intense as it’s ever been in his life.

“I will be getting myself ready for college,” he said. “I want to be ahead of the game when I get where I am going.”

James struggled to go anywhere Saturday in the Dons’ 24-0 loss to Loyola in the second round of the Class 8A playoffs. He carried the ball 18 times for 74 yards, 35 of which came on the team’s final possession. James also lost two fumbles in the second half.

“It was sad for the season to come to end,” he said of the 7-4 campaign.

As of Monday, the 5-foot-10, 210-pound James hadn’t taken any official college visits, but he said he at least wanted to take trips to Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and Tennessee before signing his National Letter of Intent.

“I plan on going to all three,” he said. “I am not promising anything.”

Notre Dame coach Mike Hennessey has acted as one of James’ advisors throughout the process. He said James has handled the circus surrounding him with poise.

“My job is to help him feel comfortable because (recruiting) can be difficult and confusing,” said Hennessey, who added that Michigan State is another one of the colleges James is interested in. “He’s done his homework, along with his grandmother, about which schools will provide him with the best opportunities, academically first, and where he will fit in best as an athlete.”

Even though every team game planned against him, James finished the season with 1,734 yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 10,” said James, who ran for 2,089 yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior.

“I have no regrets. We gave it all we had every game.”