Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has spent much of his life surrounded by football. But behind his journey to becoming the Fighting Irish starting quarterback is a deeply personal story that goes well beyond the game.
During Saturday's edition of ESPN's College GameDay, fans got an emotional look at the relationship between Carr and his younger brother, Chad, who died in 2015 at just five years old after battling diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.
It's a story that puts Carr's football journey, and particularly his decision to attend Notre Dame, into an entirely different perspective.
When he was young, CJ Carr's brother Chad was diagnosed with DIPG, a rare form of brain cancer and died when he was just five years old.
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 7, 2026
CJ moved forward the best he could, and when it came time to pick a college, he picked Notre Dame because he knew Chad would love that CJ… pic.twitter.com/EHlOhENhla
Why CJ Carr believes his brother would love his Notre Dame decision
Football has always been part of the Carr family. CJ's grandfather, Lloyd Carr, is one of the most recognizable figures in Michigan football history, having led the Wolverines to a national championship in 1997.
Given those family ties, it would have been easy for CJ to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and play for Michigan. But CJ chose a different path, committing to Notre Dame and eventually becoming the quarterback of one of Michigan's longtime rivals.
And as it turns out, that's exactly the kind of decision his younger brother would have appreciated.
Jen Lada's story revealed that Chad had a playful personality and enjoyed going against the grain, especially when it came to the family's Michigan football loyalties. CJ believes his brother would have gotten a kick out of seeing him wearing Notre Dame's blue and gold instead of Michigan's maize and blue.
It's a touching reminder that while Chad's life was tragically cut short, his personality and memory continue to influence his older brother.
The Carr family has also worked to ensure Chad's legacy extends far beyond football through the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, which raises awareness and supports research into the devastating disease.
For Notre Dame fans, Carr is the quarterback tasked with leading the Fighting Irish to victories and competing for championships. But ESPN's emotional feature offered a glimpse of the person behind the helmet and the experiences that helped shape him into the leader he is today.
CJ Carr may have chosen a different football path than the one his family's history might have suggested, but there's something especially meaningful about knowing his little brother would have loved every bit of it.
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