One of the things that makes Marcus Freeman so beloved among Notre Dame football players and fans is that he has gone all in with the culture in South Bend. The head coach approaches the team as an extension of his family, and that was never more evident when one former Irish player suffered a medical emergency that included putting him into a medically induced coma.
Former walk-on Chris Salerno recently opened up to the Irish Star about the terrifying ordeal he and his family went through. He also shared how Freeman walked the walk when it comes to the Irish being an extended family, showing up for Salerno even when the young man wasn’t conscious or aware he was there.
Just over a year after his final appearance for Notre Dame in the 34-23 loss to Ohio State in the 2025 CFP National, Salerno suffered a seizure and was placed into a medically induced coma for nearly three full days.
Salerno said most people, even around Notre Dame, didn’t know the former player was in the hospital because he and his family kept it under wraps. "They discovered I had congenital hydrocephalus,” Salerno said. He added that he had the condition for most of his life, but it finally caused the seizure and the hospital stay in March of 2025.
Marcus Freeman visited former Notre Dame football walk-on Chris Salerno in hospital
"While in the hospital, Coach Free got word and came to visit me even while I was fully sedated. He sat with my parents and offered any support he could provide,” Salerno gushed.
The former Fighting Irish player said he was especially blown away because he was never one of those names that was a household name. He was a walk-on whose job never really went beyond holding for field goals and extra points.
Salerno now knows what others have claimed about Freeman. No matter who has been on his roster, the Notre Dame head coach has always expressed deep, genuine care for each and every young man who comes through his program. That includes former walk-on players who left the program a year earlier.
The 40-year-old, a former college athlete and NFL player himself, is renowned as an elite "players' coach" and for creating a family-feel locker room dynamic. That’s only gotten stronger over the last few years as he’s repeatedly turned down bigger and higher-paying jobs in order to stay with Notre Dame. "It is one of my favorite stories to tell about him because it shows how genuine he is," Salerno said.
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