Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr shared a very powerful story during the football season, one that not many knew about the young quarterback. Carr had a younger brother named Chad who passed away at the age of five from DIPG, a type of brain cancer, and the reason he plays football today is because of him.
Carr wrote an essay that went out in the Players' Tribune talking about his and Chad's story, and it touched a lot of people and allowed the world to see a little more of who he and his little brother were.
Even though his whole family grew up diehard Michigan fans, Chad always went a little against the grain and would root for whatever team was playing against the Wolverines just to get his family to laugh and smile. When Carr decided where to go to play college football, he channeled his inner Chad and decided to go against the grain and chose Notre Dame.
Since then, Carr's mother has said that the town has completely embraced his decision, even in Michigan. On Notre Dame's docuseries on Peacock, "Here Come The Irish," Carr goes even deeper into what Chad means to him and how he keeps his memory alive every day.
“Chad taught us that the things that really matter in life are the people around you and your family.” — CJ Carr
— Here Come The Irish (@ND_HCTI) January 14, 2026
Chad’s mission lives on through @13Cjcarr his family. Hear that story on #HereComeTheIrish, now streaming on @peacock pic.twitter.com/AkFnfBkrjt
"Chad taught us that the things that really matter in life are the people around you and your family," Carr said. "He taught us just how to continue to be resilient."
Carr speaks on how he plays each and every game for his late little brother, who he believes would have been so happy to see his play at Notre Dame over Michigan. His family has also set up a foudnation on Chad's name to help find a cure for DIPG in children.