Irish left tackle Joe Alt (76) has leaned on the sound playing advice given by his father, John Alt, a former NFL player. | Carlos Osorio/AP

The freshman is one of five Irish players whose fathers played in the NFL.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — There is no secret handshake, no special designation among them.

Yet, for the five current Notre Dame football players whose fathers reached the NFL, there is a common bond and a clear understanding that being the progeny of former pros helped them parlay obvious physical gifts into big-time college opportunities.

“We definitely have communicated about it,” freshman left tackle Joe Alt said as the ninth-ranked Irish prepared to visit Virginia on Saturday night. “We don’t talk too much about it, but definitely [it’s] just that extra knowledge that some people don’t have.”

John Alt, Joe’s dad, is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame after playing left tackle for 13 seasons (1984-96). Among his contemporaries was New York Giants (1989-2001) tight end Howard Cross, whose namesake son is a rising force at defensive tackle for Notre Dame.

There’s also starting safety Houston Griffith, whose father Howard was an NFL fullback for eight seasons (1993-2000); freshman wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr., whose dad played linebacker for the Falcons and Rams from 1995-2000; and freshman guard Rocco Spindler, whose father Marc spent nine seasons (1990-98) as a defensive lineman for the Lions and Jets.

The elder Cross, Griffith and Styles own Super Bowl championship rings.

“It’s been awesome to have a dad who’s been through all this,” the younger Alt said. “Especially freshman year, going to play college football, you have no idea what to expect. Just having someone go through that before and be able to give a roadmap to you and just kind of explain how it’s going to go, I think that’s been one of the biggest advantages.”

Alt stood just 6-feet tall after his sophomore season at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, Minn., a Minneapolis suburb. When he sprouted six inches before his junior year, Alt went to his father and asked him to ramp up the football-related instruction.

Everything from diet and weightlifting to film study, fitness and footwork drills was placed in his father’s massive hands. John Alt spent those next two seasons as an assistant offensive line coach at his son’s school, but he also worked his sprawling network of former teammates, foes, coaches and trainers to make sure nothing was left to chance.

A late-blooming tight end who still weighed just 240 pounds his junior year, Alt had seen boyhood pictures of his father and knew he’d likely wind up as a tackle as well. While the elder Alt didn’t stop running pass routes until halfway through his Iowa career, his son bulked up quickly and properly.

He committed to Notre Dame in July 2020 and was still in a hybrid role as his freshman season began. Swapping jerseys between his father’s old No. 76 and a tight end’s No. 45, Alt morphed from novelty status in Week 2 against Toledo to the starting left tackle by Game 6 at Virginia Tech.

“Enter Sandman” might have caused a lesser competitor to melt beneath the stadium lights, but John Alt’s words kept echoing in his young son’s racing mind.

Block out the noise. Feet come first. Do your job.

One month into his new life as a starter, Alt seems entrenched. At 6-8 and 305 pounds, he already has matched his father’s height and exceeded his playing weight by seven pounds.

“Everyone thought Joe was going to be a really good player,” left guard Andrew Kristofic said. “I mean, if you look at him, you’re like, ‘All right, that dude, he looks like a left tackle.’ He’s super athletic, and he’s a really strong, smart kid.”

Alt’s teammates and coaches rave about his maturity and the on-field communication skills rarely seen in such an inexperienced lineman.

“Joe doesn’t keep any secrets on the field,” Kristofic said. “If he sees some guy and it looks like he’s creeping, he’s screaming in your ear what he’s seeing.”

A mechanical engineering major, Alt learned the importance of football details from his father. Pre-snap clues such as hand placement and weight shift can betray a pass rusher’s plan if you know what to look for.

Like his fellow NFL offspring on the Notre Dame roster, Alt knows.

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Jackie Kinney/Marquee Sports Network

MLB and MLBPA’s collective-bargaining agreement is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.

CARLSBAD, Calif. — The Cubs came into the week with a long list of areas they needed to address. To their surprise, they ended the week checking one off.

The Cubs were one of two teams to make an addition in the last week, claiming left-hander Wade Miley off waivers and picking up his $10 million option Sunday. The only other major move was the Dodgers’ signing left-hander Andrew Heaney.

With the general managers meetings now over, the Cubs will embark on an offseason that, similar to the last five winters, will be anything but normal. The collective-bargaining agreement is set to expire Dec. 1, and the belief around the industry is that there will be a lockout until the sides agree on a new CBA.

What does that mean for the Cubs and teams around baseball?

If there is no agreement, there likely will be a roster freeze that would take effect Dec. 2. The winter meetings in -December would be canceled, as well.

There probably will be lots of movement in the weeks to come as teams prepare for what likely will be months without any moves.

The Cubs still are looking to add pitching after adding Miley, particularly power arms for the rotation. They also are looking to add power to their lineup.

For years, the knock against the Cubs was that they were too reliant on power, and the results, especially in the postseason, showed that. Now they have contact hitters in infielders Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal, whom they acquired at the trade deadline, but it has left them in need of some more thump.

Third baseman Patrick Wisdom, first baseman Frank Schwindel, outfielder Ian Happ and catcher Willson Contreras combined to hit 88 homers last season and will provide a lot of the team’s power next season.

“I know a common complaint of our teams is that there hasn’t been enough contact, which has been fair,” team president Jed Hoyer said. “I don’t have the stats in front of me, but the overwhelming stat in the postseason is that teams that out-homer their opponents win games. So we can’t ever lose sight of that. It’s a pretty nice way to score.”

But with the expected addition of the designated hitter in the National League next season, adding some power is on the Cubs’ to-do list this offseason.

“Having Nico and Madrigal in the lineup, I think it’s a nice start,” Hoyer said. “I think Schwindel is really good at making contact. I think we have some guys that make contact really well. But we can’t lose sight of the fact that power wins games.”

“So I think it’s an offseason question, but it’s valid. There’s always a tendency to overcompensate. We have an issue that you struggle with and go the other way. You have to be careful. Contact is great, but at some point, having power really helps.”

The Cubs have money to spend, but with premium free agents not likely looking at them as a destination, they’ll have to set their sights on the second and third tiers of the market.

The next few weeks could see the Cubs and other teams very active with smaller-name free agents potentially looking to sign deals before the roster freeze. But beyond that, this offseason is going to move at a glacial pace.

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Students and friends of Shaoxiong “Dennis” Zheng stop by a memorial on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021 in Chicago. Police say Zheng was fatally shot while on the sidewalk shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday. | Madeline Kenney/Chicago Sun-Times

The police are supposed to serve and protect. Instead, some pass the buck.

Last Tuesday, just after 12 noon, my mother and I dropped by The Silver Room, our favorite neighborhood shop, on East 53rd Street in Hyde Park.

Five minutes later, we were lying flat and shivering on the floor behind a table in the rear of the store, terrorized by the unmistakable rattle of rapid-fire gunshots outside.

The media reported the insanity. Someone had pulled up and started shooting. Jahmal Cole, a Chicago activist and congressional candidate, said he believes he was the target and narrowly escaped by diving under a car.

Two hours later, Shaoxiong Zheng, a recent graduate of the University of Chicago, was shot and killed in a street robbery in Hyde Park.

It all happened in a middle-class neighborhood, near former president Barack Obama’s home and the university.

“It’s everywhere, and no one can stop it!” my 88-year-old mother declared, again and again and again, as I tried to calm her down. Carjackings, street and expressway shootings, armed robberies, everywhere, in Chicago.

Why? Bamani Obadele offers one answer. On the evening of Oct. 23, the longtime community organizer and political strategist pulled his car over to pick up food from a restaurant on the Near South Side. As he stepped away, a youth jumped into his car and drove off, with Obadele’s cell phone and house keys inside.

Obadele eventually connected with three Chicago police officers who offered to drive him to his mother’s home so that he could pick up a spare set of keys, he told me. The officers were respectful and kind, he emphasized.

But “from start to finish when I get in the car, the cops are just lambasting” Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

“Well, you know, this is the mayor’s fault,” Obadele quoted the officers as saying. “And this wouldn’t have happened to you if Lori wasn’t the mayor. And, you know, Kim Foxx isn’t going to do anything about it. … The city’s going to hell all because of Kim Foxx and Lori Lightfoot. These are your people, your community and you elect these people, and they don’t do anything for you.”

Foxx and Lightfoot are Black. The officers were white, Obadele said.

That’s the word on the street: Instead of fighting rampant crime, the police are blame-gaming. It’s all the fault of Foxx and Lightfoot and their support of criminal justice reform. They are coddling the criminals, some say.

Obadele’s car was later found, crashed and totaled. The police said they would investigate, but he has heard nothing more.

“I sincerely believe that the police are laying down. And this is sad to say… this is a narrative that they want to push.”

“The Police Department is not ‘laying down,”’ responded Chicago Police Department spokesman Don Terry. “The men and women of the police department, day and night, are doing their job. They are doing the work, often at great risk to themselves.”

Police are making progress, a department source told me, noting that between Jan. 1 and Nov. 9 of this year, police made 282 arrests for vehicular hijackings in Chicago, compared with 164 during the same period in 2020.

According to the Cook County state’s attorney’s latest annual report, the CPD received 242,859 criminal incident reports between Nov. 1, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2021.

In that period, 23,969 incidents resulted in at least one offender being arrested, for an overall arrest rate of 10%.

That includes 738 homicides and 182 arrests, for an arrest rate of 25%. For 3,516 shootings, the arrest rate was 10%; for 1,839 vehicular hijackings, a 15% arrest rate.

Foxx cannot prosecute criminals if the police aren’t arresting them.

The police are supposed to serve and protect. Instead, some pass the buck. Hundreds of officers won’t even get vaccinated to protect themselves — and us — from COVID-19.

Leaving us all sitting, shivering ducks.

Follow Laura Washington on Twitter @mediadervish

Send letters to [email protected]

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Bill Savage’s “Graffiti Heron on North Shore Channel.” | Bill Savage

Bill Savage’s “Graffiti Heron on North Shore Channel,” Dave Genz on early ice, some figures on the coho stocking in Indiana tributaries, and a question on the legality of mushroom picking are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors.

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Bill Savage tweeted “Graffiti Heron on North Shore Channel,” which was taken around the underpass on the North Shore Channel Trail at Lincoln.

WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. To make submissions, email [email protected] or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

Bill Savage
Another view of Bill Savages’s “Graffiti Heron on North Shore Channel.”

WILD TIMES

SHOWTIME

Sunday, Nov. 14: Ice Fishing Swap Meet and Greet, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Moose Lodge, 3535 N Richmond Rd, Johnsburg

FISH GATHERING

Thursday, Nov. 18: Speaker TBD, Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township offices, Alsip, 7 p.m., fishtalesfishingclub.com

SEASONS

Today, Nov. 13: South central zone, white-fronted geese, Canada geese and first scaup season open

Sunday, Nov. 14: First dove season ends

Friday, Nov. 19: Rail season ends

Friday, Nov. 19, to Nov. 21: First firearm deer season

FPCC PERMITS

Monday, Nov. 15: Opening day for Forest Preserves of Cook County 2022 picnic and special event permits fpdcc.com/permits (better) or (800) 870-3666, and camping reservations fpdcc.com/camping or (855) 937-2267, 8 a.m. start,

DALE’S MAILBAG

“Why is it illegal to pick from park districts and government owned properties? One is not destroying anything, most likely what you pick would grow back shortly as I have seen in my back yard when I mow over the mushrooms.” Vic Favia

A: Fungi serve roles in the natural world, especially breaking organic material down. I understand picking not being allowed in natural areas,, preserves and their ilk. Picking is allowed, with some boundaries, at such places as State Fish and Wildlife Areas.

BIG NUMBER

80,896: Coho salmon recently stocked in Indiana’s Trail Creek (29,457, approximately 7.2 inches) and East Branch of the Little Calumet River (51,439, 6.6 inches). Take care if fishing these areas.

LAST WORD

“You can never assume anything, especially if it’s based on what happened last year. Early ice is a continuation of late fall.”

Dave Genz, in “Early Ice is Set by Fall,” on davegenz.com, advising to pay more attention to the fall than the previous year’s ice fishing

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Three people were wounded in shootings in Chicago Friday. | Sun-Times file

A woman was shot and critically wounded Friday night while driving in Fifth City on the West Side.

Three people were wounded in shootings in Chicago Friday.

A woman was shot and critically wounded Friday night while driving in Fifth City on the West Side. The 20-year-old was driving about 11:35 p.m. in the 3400 block of West Jackson Boulevard when she was shot in the head, Chicago police said. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was in critical condition, police said.
About an hour earlier, another woman, 38, was standing outside in the 4400 block of South Washtenaw Avenue when she was shot in the abdomen, police said. She was taken to Saint Anthony Hospital, before being transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was in fair condition, police said.
A 25-year-old man was standing on the sidewalk about 5:25 p.m. in the 1700 block of West Juneway Terrace when he was shot in the leg, police said. He was taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was in good condition, police said.

One person was killed and a 1-year-old boy and two teens were among 11 others wounded by gunfire in Chicago Thursday.

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Moon Alert

After 11:30 p.m. Chicago time, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Pisces.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Your mind is busy and active! (“The drunken monkey.”) Therefore, this is a gentle warning not to overlook important details, especially about banking or issues related to inheritances, shared property, taxes and debt. Double check everything just one more time. Be smart.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

People are excitable today. That’s because Mercury is at odds with wild, wacky Uranus. Although this can create a fun, electric mood in conversations, it can also lend to erratic, hasty decisions. You might attract someone who is unusual and “scattered” to you.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Your work might be interrupted because of staff shortages, canceled appointments, changed hours or misplaced items. Machinery might break down. On the upside, people have clever, far-out ideas and solutions to old problems. (You win some, you lose some.)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Parents: Be vigilant because this is an accident-prone day for your kids. Forewarned is forearmed. Meanwhile, everyone will experience sudden changes to social plans. Alternatively, you might receive a surprise invitation? Lovers’ quarrels might occur. Avoid sports accidents. (Yikes!)

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Ouch! Your home routine will be interrupted. Small appliances might break down or minor breakages could occur. Someone unexpected might appear at your door. Be patient with family members to avoid quarrels. (Meanwhile, stock the fridge and prepare for the unexpected.)

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Please take note: This is an accident-prone day for your sign, so pay attention to everything you say and do. Slow down and be mindful. Meanwhile, new faces, new places and new ideas will be a stimulating change today! Who knew? Stay flexible so that you can go with the flow.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Keep an eye on your money and assets because something unexpected will affect them. For example, you might find money, you might lose money. Be smart and protect what you own against loss, theft or damage. If a gift comes your way, accept it, because this window of opportunity is brief.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Avoid tasks that require care because you’re a bit impatient today. You’re restless (which makes anyone prone to mistakes). However, you will understand ideas fast and perceive things quickly because you’re extremely intuitive. (“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”)

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Today you feel restless. Because people around you are edgy and moving fast, you might not know what to do first. Hey, take a moment to catch your breath and get grounded. The good news is something unusual might be revealed to you. A secret might come out. (“Richard Bachman is really Stephen King?”)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Today you have to control a tendency to be blunt when talking to others because it’s as if your mind doesn’t have time to think before the words come out of your mouth. Major oops! Knowing this ahead of time, make an effort to count to three before you speak. Be circumspect.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Conversations with bosses, parents and VIPs (including the police) might go off the rails today. Impulsive, sudden words could trigger problems. First off: Never underestimate the power of courtesy. Secondly: Think before you speak. Say nothing you will regret. Make your life easier.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Travel plans will change today — almost certainly. This is also an accident-prone day, so pay attention to everything you say and do. Surprising news in the media might stun you or catch you off guard. News from afar might also surprise. Stay chill.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actor Gerard Butler (1969) shares your birthday. You are strong willed and courageous. You are also perceptive, astute and capable of humorous irony. You are sensitive and idealistic and you believe in fighting for what is right. This year is slower paced. In particular you will focus on your closest relationships, especially where they require your kindness and consideration. You can make a difference in someone else’s life.

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Wheaton North’s Walker Owens (27) advances the ball before being stopped by Willowbrook. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Wheaton North’s first trip to the state semifinals in 20 years didn’t come on the back of a flashy, standout win. The Falcons gritted out a tough road win on a cold and wet November night.

Wheaton North’s first trip to the state semifinals in 20 years didn’t come on the back of a flashy, standout win. The Falcons gritted out a tough road win on a cold and wet November night, beating Willowbrook 10-3 in Villa Park to advance to the Class 7A state semifinals.

Luke Beedle’s two-yard run in the final minute gave Wheaton North the crucial first down that sealed the win.

“It was the biggest play of my life–two yards,” Beedle said. “It’s the best feeling ever. We’ve been saying it all year but doing it is what counts.”

Beedle, a junior, had 12 carries for 42 yards. Sophomore Walker Owens added 10 carries for 52 yards for the Falcons (11-1).

“It was tough out there,” Owens said. “But it felt good at the end. We were grinding out first downs and running out the clock. That’s all we really needed to do.

Neither team scored in the second half. Both teams kicked field goals in the first half and Wheaton North quarterback Mark Forcucci scored the game’s only touchdown on a one-yard run with 3:41 left in the second quarter.

“[Willowbrook] is used to playing in these big games,” Wheaton North coach Joe Wardynski said. “I heard they had been in at least the quarterfinals five years in a row. So we knew those kids weren’t going to back down. They battled until the end. But so did our kids.”

Forcucci, a Holy Cross recruit, was 6-for-12 passing for 44 yards. The Falcons’ longest play in the game was a 14-yard pass from Forcucci to junior Ross Dansdill.

The Falcons made up for that defensively. They kept Willowbrook (8-4) out of the red zone for nearly the entire game. The one time the Warriors threatened, defensive back Tyler O’Connor stepped up. The junior made the biggest play of the game, grabbing an interception in the end zone in the third quarter. He also kicked the 26-yard field goal in the first quarter.

“I just knew I had to get an interception,” O’Connor said. “I was just sitting there waiting in the end zone for the ball to slip out of someone’s hands. It was wet out there.”

Willowbrook quarterback AJ Palicki, a 6-3 sophomore, showed poise and talent throughout the game. He finished 10-for-22 passing for 115 yards with the one interception.

Junior Joe Tumilty had eight receptions for 88 yards for the Warriors.

“[Tumilty] is a great football player,” Wardynski said. “Even though we were keying on him he still made plays. We didn’t give up anything over the top which kept three points on the board.”

Wheaton North will face the winner of Mount Carmel vs. Brother Rice in the semifinals next weekend.

“We struggled a little bit getting the ball down the field,” Wardynski said. “We’ve done that pretty well throughout the year. But tonight we were a little deficient in the passing game. We have to get that going again if we’re gonna have a chance next week.”

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