Marcus Freeman has turned Notre Dame into a place where former NFL stars trust their sons to attend. Certainly, the Fighting Irish get some of these players because of the school's history and its status as a perennial contender for a national title. Now, with Devin Fitzgerald, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald, playing his college football in South Bend, the proud papa recently explained why his son is a part of Freeman’s program.
The elder Fitzgerald appeared on an episode of former LSU and NFL defensive back Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu's podcast “In the Bayou” to discuss his son's decision to commit to Notre Dame. In telling the story, he made it clear that he didn’t want to get in the way of Devin picking the school he wanted, but was also proud of how his son approached everything.
“There was visits that we went on, unofficial visits, that he had an unbelievable time and then we'd be back at the hotel, right? And he'd be like , 'Dad, you know, I really like this place and I know I would have an amazing time here. But the guys are just undisciplined or not focused. They're not thinking about what they want to do when the lights go off.' And I didn't say anything. I would just be thinking to myself, 'Man, I'm just so proud that a seventeen-year-old he can understand things and it's a lot of fun, but like I'm here for a purpose.'"
Fitzgerald went on to point out what has made Notre Dame so attractive to so many parents, not just former NFL superstars.
Larry Fitzgerald explains why Devin Fitzgerald chose Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football
“To be able to find a place that he felt that he could compete at the highest level, he can get a great education, he could have the the best coach in college football who not only is going to help him with X's and O's, but is going to also help him become a better man in Marcus Freeman, for him to be able to make those decisions based on the experiences that he's had in his life made me a really proud father.”
“So it was really cool to see your kid kind of grow up and be able to do the things that they've worked hard for, you know, because life is not guaranteed and what you want is not always guaranteed.”
“And just because you work hard doesn't mean you're gonna be able to attain those things, but to be able to see him to a small degree, be able to do that. And obviously, he's got a long way to go, you know, not only in ball but in life, but to be able to see him off to a nice start is something that you're really, really, really happy about.”
It’s certainly looking like the relationships between Notre Dame, Devin Fitzgerald, and Larry Fitzgerald are matches made in heaven. Even if son doesn’t walk the same path as his father, it’s clear the Irish are the right fight, and it’s hard to argue they’re not a great fit for anyone in a similar situation.
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