In the long history of Notre Dame football, one of the very best wide receivers to ever wear blue and gold never played on Sundays.
Well, football at least.
Jeff Samardzija played at Notre Dame from 2003-2006, earning All-American status in his junior and senior seasons. He totaled 2,593 receiving yards for the Irish; 2,266 of those came in his junior and senior seasons.
Samardzija also starred on Notre Dame’s baseball team as a pitcher and he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2006. He bypassed a career in the NFL, instead making his way to Major League Baseball in 2008 and lasting there until 2020.
Looking back there is a case to be made that Samardzija was the MVP of the first two years of the Charlie Weis era when Notre Dame wound up in back-to-back BCS games.
It’s hard to believe, but the former two-sport star for the Fighting Irish turns 39 today. Happy birthday to The Shark!
Celebrate by checking out the best photos of him at Notre Dame below: