There will be Notre Dame alum on the field during Super Bowl LIX
There are plenty of Notre Dame Fighting Irish alum playing in the NFL, and at least will be playing in Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans this year.
Linebacker [autotag]Drue Tranquill[/autotag] and kicker [autotag]Spencer Shrader[/autotag] will be playing in the game for the Chiefs. Former Irish quarterback [autotag]Ian Book[/autotag] was briefly on the Eagles’ active roster, but he’s back on the practice squad. Book was a Chief briefly during the preseason.
Aug 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ian Book (19) looks downfield in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
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Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills is going to the league.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag] is moving on.
Mills declared for the NFL Draft on Monday.
He was a key anchor for the Notre Dame defense, though he missed the final three games with a right knee injury.
The five-year player had 37 total tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2024.
Mills posted a long thank-you note to Notre Dame fans on his Twitter account.
Notre Dame’s defense has now lost at least three stars to the NFL draft, with [autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] also declaring. The departures aren’t necessarily unexpected given how crucial the Fighting Irish’s defense was to Notre Dame’s run to the national championship game, but they’re a blow nonetheless.
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 09: Rylie Mills #99 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates a sack against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium on November 09, 2024 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman won’t be leaving for this NFL job
Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] is in demand, thanks to taking the Irish to the national championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
In fact, the Chicago Bears, who have been looking for a new coach, were rumored to have interest in interviewing Freeman for the role even though Notre Dame gave Freeman a contract extension.
That’s what happens when you have success. Given Notre Dame’s proximity and the fact there are a great many Bears fans who also cheer for the Irish and vice-versa, the connection seemed to be a no-brainer.
But the Bears hired Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their new coach on Monday.
This doesn’t mean Freeman will not be targeted — or will not pursue — other NFL jobs. But it does mean he’s not leaving to coach the Bears next season.
Jan. 2, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates on the sidelines in the final minute against the Georgia Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The 76-year-old Hanratty was a three-year starter for the Irish, leading the team to the 1966 national championship.
He was an All-American twice at Notre Dame and also was a Heisman Trophy candidate.
After college, Hanratty backed up Terry Bradshaw for the Pittsburgh Steelers and then played his final NFL season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Unknown Date; South Bend, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Irish head coach Ara Parseghian on the sidelines with Terry Hanratty (5) at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
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Rees was at Notre Dame from 2010-2013, starting 30 games — including 12 in 2011 and 2013.
He returned to campus in 2017 as quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2020. He left in February 2023 to be the offensive coordinator at Alabama.
A year later, Cleveland hired him as pass-game specialist and tight ends coach. Now the 32-year-old Rees has been given a bump.
Notre Dame QB Tommy Rees during the Notre Dame vs. Temple college football game on Wednesday, Aug 31, 2013, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. via FTP
Nd Vs Temple
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“Returning to Chicago to coach at St. Patrick is a full-circle moment for me,” Zbikowski said in a statement. “I’m excited to bring a tough, disciplined mentality to the team and to build a program that the entire community can be proud of. I recognize that I’ve accomplished many things in life, but having the ability to impact a kid’s life is the most important of them all.”
Zbikowski worked as an assistant coach in the college ranks, coaching at Western Michigan and Brown.
The 39-year-old grew up near Chicago and attended Notre Dame from 2003-2007. In addition to playing safety, he returned punts and served as a team captain in 2006. He earned several second- and third-team All-American nods.
He also was a professional boxer, going undefeated in a career that stretched from 2006-2020.
Now he’s coming home to coach.
Punt returner Tom Zbikowski #9 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish carries the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers on Nov. 5, 2005 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish defeated the Vols 41-21. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
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As the 14th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, former Notre Dame safety [autotag]Kyle Hamilton[/autotag] was expected to do well for the Baltimore Ravens. It’s unlikely that many people thought he would be so impactful almost three seasons into his professional career, but here we are.
Hamilton is in the Pro Bowl for the second straight season and has done a great job coming off being named First Team All-Pro in 2023. Pro Football Focus has him as the highest-rated safety in the AFC, and he’s the only defensive back in the NFL with at least 100 tackles, two sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles.
Here’s what was said about Hamilton before the season when he was ranked 43rd in the NFL Top 100:
Congratulations to Hamilton. We hope to see more of this from him in the coming years.
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Former Notre Dame running back [autotag]Kyren Williams[/autotag] has done well in his three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. He made the Pro Bowl last year and is closing in on his second straight 1,000-yard season.
The Rams chose to reveal this news to Williams in a very personal way. They invited team legend Steven Jackson to do the honors during a team meeting. The screen at the front of the room showed a photo of a younger Williams posing with Jackson while the team was based in St. Louis, where Williams grew up. Jackson felt it appropriate to gift his fellow running back with a pair of cleats.
Here’s how it all went down:
Congratulations to Williams, and here’s hoping he can add to his trophy case.
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Two former college stars showed up to take in Notre Dame at USC on Saturday.
Chicago Bears rookie quarterback [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] and his current teammate, former Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end [autotag]Cole Kmet[/autotag], were in attendance Saturday as Notre Dame beat USC 49-35 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Williams had a good reason to be there — his USC jersey number was being retired. Williams wore number 13 during his time at USC.
The Bears were off this weekend, having played against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. You might remember that game — the Bears badly mismanaged the clock at the end, leading to head coach Matt Eberflus’s dismissal on Friday.
Sideline reporter Jenny Dell did speak to Williams during the CBS broadcast on Saturday, but if Williams addressed the change at head coach for the Bears, this author missed it.
Williams had 72 passing touchdowns at USC and threw for 8,170 yards in two seasons after transferring in from Oklahoma. He also ran for 21 touchdowns.
Nov 3, 2018; Evanston, IL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Cole Kmet (84) makes a catch against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first quarter at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
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He surely never thought he’d add this to his trophy case.
If anyone proved how versatile they are in the NFL during the past week’s slate of games, it was [autotag]Cole Kmet[/autotag]. The former Notre Dame tight end, now with the Chicago Bears, was pressed into duty he likely never thought actually would come to pass.
While Kmet scored twice and had five receptions for 70 yards in the Bears’ 35-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, it was what he did on special teams that caught everyone’s attention.
Already down their primary long snapper, the Bears suddenly were faced with a pickle when backup long snapper Scott Daly was injured in the first quarter. Knowing Kmet was a long snapper in high school, they pressed him into duty for five extra-point attempts and one field-goal attempt.
Kmet’s performance impressed enough that he was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. He is believed to be the first player in NFL history to win the award as a long snapper. The fact that he’s not even a true long snapper makes this even more impressive.
Congratulations to Kmet, and let’s hope he has even more success after the Bears’ bye week.
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