Some of the Notre Dame football coaches have been trying to get Tyler Enos to cut his hair.
"Yeah, that mop of his," head coach Charles Fant muttered. "I keep trying to get him to groom that thing."
To which Enos, a senior and standout linebacker, replied, "Aw, Coach, it's like that dude in the Bible - yeah, Samson. You don't want me to lose my strength, do you?"
Enos later admitted that somebody said his hair, when brushed, was reminiscent of Donald Trump (sans hairspray or gel).
"If I do half as well as that guy," Enos said, "I'll be doing pretty well."
The mop of hair isn't what has raised his profile, though. That's due to his ability for mopping up as a defensive finisher for Notre Dame (8-3), which travels Friday to Upperman (9-2) for a second-round game in the Class 3A state playoffs.
Notre Dame defensive standout Tyler Enos (21) purses Signal Mountain's Skye Wilson during a 2014 game.Enos has 131 tackles (11.9 per game) this season, with 36 for a loss, including five sacks. He also has four interceptions, returning two of those for touchdowns.
Enos said he thrives on the physical aspect of the game.
"It's like stepping into the gap and the running back is coming through, and it's him against you," he said enthusiastically. "I like to hit them - hit them hard enough that they remember who it was that hit them."
It is a transition, if not a transformation, when he steps on the field.
"Sometimes I call him the old man," Fant said. "He walks around in practice, and on the sidelines he's always hurt. But when the ball is snapped, he is completely transformed into an amazing athlete."
The Irish felt good about Enos' promise even in his freshman year. A teammate got hurt that season as the Irish faced Signal Mountain quarterback Reese Phillips, who went on to sign with Kentucky, and the horde of athletes that surrounded him.
"Tyler had 12.5 tackles in little more than two quarters," Fant recalled. "We knew for sure then that we had something special."
Since that game, Enos has accumulated another 490 tackles, with 101 of those for lost yardage. Fant just shakes his head, almost as if disbelieving the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder's accomplishments.
"I've had some amazing linebackers in my career as a coach - 14-15 years - and I've never had a linebacker like him," he said.
Enos offered an explanation.
"Yeah, I have a bunch of tackles, but it's because of the D-line and the outside linebackers," he said. "If they didn't do their jobs, I wouldn't get any tackles. They pretty much do the dirty work, and I just get to come and hit people. Those guys set it up for me to make plays."
Humility is only one of Enos' prime qualities, along with his physical style of play. He's a good student, both of the game and in his classes at school. He's a good listener, and a sense of humor accompanies his open and friendly demeanor.
"He has the knack of finding the football, and as good as he is at filling the hole, he's just as good at tackling in the open field," Fant said. "He listens to his coaches, and reading his keys is a way of life.
"I don't think the kid has ever met a stranger, and he'll never let quiet last. When things get stressful or somebody tightens up, he's always comic relief."
At Notre Dame, those who have been around for decades still talk almost in awe of Tyler's dad, Terry, who was an outstanding quarterback, point guard and shortstop.
"He tells me he was a really good athlete, but I don't let him know I believe it," Tyler said with a laugh. "He'd get too excited."
Regardless, Dad is having to move over.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.