Notre Dame junior nose tackle Louis Nix III talked earlier this week about Saturday's game with BYU possibly being the last home game of his career. It turns out he may already have played his final home game.
Nix had arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday, and his season is over. He has been bothered by knee tendinitis this season and missed two games.
Two doctors recommended that he have surgery now rather than after the season, which had been the plan.
"Despite me wanting to play still, they think it's best for my health," Nix told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Nix (6-foot-2, 357 pounds) is on track to graduate in December with a Film, Television and Theater degree. He told the Sun-Times the surgery would not affect his decision about whether to stay for his senior season or turn pro.
He is considered one of the top draft-eligible tackles in the nation, especially for teams that run a 3-4 defense.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.