Category: Irish in NFL

Former Notre Dame star gets coaching gig

A Notre Dame alum comes home to Chicago to coach.

Former Notre Dame safety [autotag]Tom Zbikowski[/autotag] has been hired as the football coach at a Chicago high school.

Zbikowski, who also played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens, will coach the Saint Patrick’s Shamrocks. St. Patrick’s is on the city’s northwest side.

“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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Former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton named AFC Pro Bowl starter

Congrats, Kyle!

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.

The NFL has unveiled its rosters for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games, and Hamilton is one of nine Ravens, the most for any team, to be selected. What’s more, Hamilton has been announced as the starting strong safety for the AFC.

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 is Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee

Congrats, Kyren!

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.

But Williams also has given a lot back to the community since he joined the NFL, and the Rams decided it was time for him to be recognized for that. Specifically, he has been selected as their 2024 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

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 attended Notre Dame at USC

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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Former Notre Dame tight end named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

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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Battle of ex-Notre Dame tight ends in Chicago turns out to be quiet

Two former Notre Dame tight ends faced off in Chicago Sunday.

Notre Dame fans who also follow the NFL may have taken an interest in Sunday’s game between the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

That’s because Bears tight end Cole Kmet was playing against ex-teammate Tommy Tremble, who is now a Panther. Both played tight end at Notre Dame and both saw action during the same season in 2019.

If Fighting Irish fans were hoping to see the two former teammates out-dueling one another, that didn’t happen. Tremble left the game with an apparent concussion after being targeted just twice. He caught one pass for 7 yards, and he fumbled the ball after that reception. It was the same play in which the concussion appeared to happen.

Sep 25, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble (82) during warm ups at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Kmet, meanwhile, was quiet early but eventually he was targeted four times, catching three of those passes for 57 yards, with a long of 26.

Even if the matchup was quiet, it’s a reminder of how many tight ends Notre Dame has sent to the NFL in recent years.

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Former Notre Dame captain to make first NFL start for Atlanta Falcons

Good luck, JD!

If your football fandom extends beyond Notre Dame, chances are you’ll be tuning into this week’s Thursday Night Football game. On the surface, it’s a typical divisional rivalry contest between the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There’s extra meaning here though for Irish fans.

Two-time Irish captain [autotag]JD Bertrand[/autotag] will make his first NFL start at right inside linebacker for the Falcons. He’ll take the place of Troy Andersen, who is out after suffering a knee injury. Andersen had been starting for Nate Landman, who currently is on injured reserve with leg injuries.

Bertrand was a fifth-round selection for the Falcons in the 2024 NFL draft and the 143rd pick overall. In four games this season, he has registered two tackles.

When asked to comment, Bertand said the following:

“Any opportunity, I’m going to continue to be ready, and I think that’s been my job up to this point as a backup. If the opportunity appears Thursday, then I’ll be sure I’m ready.”

Best of luck to Bertrand as he takes the next step in his young NFL career.

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Pittsburgh Steelers release former Notre Dame safety Jalen Elliott

Anyone want their team to sign him?

In 2018, [autotag]Jalen Elliott[/autotag] had a team-high four interceptions for a Notre Dame squad that ran the table during the regular season. That only was the tip of the iceberg for everything he did that season.

Six years later, Elliott is at a crossroads in his football career after he was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers. This came after playing two games with the Steelers without registering a single defensive stat.

Elliott previously played eight games with the Detroit Lions during the 2021 season, registering 12 tackles and making one start. Afterwards, he had brief tenures with the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders, though he never appeared in games with either team.

Elliott signed with the Lions after going undrafted in 2020. The fact that he’s been able to stick around the NFL for this long, even if it hasn’t been for that many games, is impressive. Hopefully, this isn’t the end of his football road, but if it is, it’s been a nice long ride.

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Washington Commanders waive former Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman

Tough break for him

After using up his college eligibility at Notre Dame, quarterback [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] set his eyes on professional football.

After not being selected in the 2024 NFL draft, the Washington Commanders scooped him up as a free agent. If it didn’t work out, he also could go to the Birmingham Stallions, who drafted him into the UFL a few months later.

While the door isn’t completely closed on Hartman’s NFL aspirations, he’ll need to prove that he belongs in the league. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network is reporting that Hartman will not be on the Commanders’ roster to start the season but could remain part of the organization:

Hartman’s preseason showing left a little to be desired. He completed eight of 13 passes for 83 yards and no touchdowns, only playing in the Commanders’ preseason opener against the New York Jets. The longest pass he completed was for 19 yards.

The NFL can be unforgiving, so let’s hope Hartman eventually can clear the necessary hurdles to make it there.

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Former Notre Dame safety Thomas Harper gets NFL preseason sack

Is this the start of something special for him?

[autotag]Thomas Harper[/autotag] was not among those taken during the 2024 NFL draft.

However, the Los Angeles Chargers saw some professional potential with the former Notre Dame safety, so they signed him not long after the draft’s conclusion. He got the chance to prove himself late in the Chargers’ preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

Late in the fourth quarter of a 16-3 Chargers loss, Harper blitzed and then sacked Seahawks quarterback P.J. Walker:

Harper obviously has a long way to go to prove he definitely belongs on an NFL roster. Still, this only can help him in making that a reality. We’ll see how much more playing time he gets this preseason and whether he even gets to the end of it.

Harper spent four seasons at Oklahoma State before transferring to Notre Dame for his final year of eligibility in 2023. In 11 games, he recorded 39 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks. He also defended three passes and forced one fumble.

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