Notre Dame Football: Thanks for the ride, DeShone Kizer

Notre Dame football lost one of their best players in years when DeShone Kizer declared for the 2017 NFL Draft.

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It’s been one hell of a ride, DeShone. From not knowing who you were to praying you stuck it out one more year, you’ve given Notre Dame fans the best and worst with your time in South Bend.

Now, as you enter the next stage of your career, we, the fans, want to thank you. Whether we were mad you left, didn’t believe in you from the beginning, or your biggest fan, you were the face of this team for nearly two years. That’s something no fan will ever forget.

Whether people believed you were ready or not, your choice was to leave. Unless you’ve been in that situation, you have no idea whether Kizer made the right choice or not. From an outsiders perspective maybe it wasn’t the smartest move, but at the time it’s something he thought was right. Sticking with your decision is an act I’ll always respect.

As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, it sucks that you’re a Brown. Heck, it sucks that you’re a Brown no matter what. Cleveland is the place quarterbacks go to die in the NFL, but I have a good feeling you’re about to change that.

You’re headed in the right place. Even if people don’t necessarily agree with your comments about being a Tom Brady-Cam Newton combination, it shows you’re confident. No one’s ever succeeded in this game thinking they’re second-best.

As Notre Dame moves on, you’ll always be a figure fans look back on. Maybe the success this team had with you here wasn’t what we hoped, but you undoubtedly left your mark on the program. If they turn into something special this season, we need to leave some thanks to the work you put in with the young players last year.

Your no longer a Fighting Irish but a Brown. Maybe not everyone is happy about that, but it’s how the world works. Eventually, we all have to move on from one place or another.

In the hearts of fans and yourself, though, you’ll always be an Irish. As you move into the next chapter of your journey, we’ll be there. No Notre Damer leaves without ever-lasting fans from South Bend.

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I just wanted to say, thanks. You may not have won us a National Championship or left your name in the record books, but for the first time in awhile Notre Dame had a quarterback we saw with a bright future. A future past college football and into the NFL. That alone gives us something to root for on Sundays.

It’s nothing special; I figured I’d take the time to say, “Thanks for the ride, DeShone.”