Notre Dame football is one of the most storied programs in the history of college football. That’s one of the reasons that the Fighting Irish always have someone beating down the door to come to South Bend. However, the guys that are beating down the door of late include quite a few sons of former NFL players.
Wide receiver Elijah Burress is one of them. Jerome Bettis Jr is another. Bryce Young is the son of Hall of Famer Bryant Young. Jordan Clark, Ryan Clark's son, was on the team last year. So it’s not just that sons of former NFL stars are coming to South Bend; they’re all doing it while Marcus Freeman is the head coach.
Freeman recently sat down for a wide-ranging interview with podcaster JD Pickell, and one of the topics was just why Notre Dame football has become such a popular landing spot for kids of NFL stars.
Marcus Freeman knows why Notre Dame football is a hotspot for NFL legacies
“The opportunity to develop as a football player, as well here as anywhere else in the country, but also the opportunity to get a degree that will truly take care of you beyond the game of football,” Freeman told Pickell. “I think a lot of those guys that have played in college and played in the NFL understand the value of this university, not only its football program, but the network and the people that you're in contact with every day here at a place like this.”
This is hardly the first time that there’s been talk about what Notre Dame offers beyond playing football. The school is one that takes scholastics seriously. In a world when other schools pay lip service to it, the Irish put it front and center all the time.
Then you have guys like Jerome Bettis who have seen it first hand. They tell their friends and teammates and former teammates. Word of mouth spreads and South Bend beocmes a priority destination.
Freeman has certainly leaned heavily into this. It’s one of the reasons he’s landed some of the top prospects in each class since he took over at Notre Dame football. He believes what he says and those NFL dads know it.