One of the great Notre Dame football alumni was out on the field with the Fighting Irish prior to kickoff of the national championship game.
Former fullback Jerome Bettis was the honorary captain for Notre Dame for the coin toss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He was also on the field prior to the game hyping up the Fighting Irish fans.
Before he embarked on a 13-season NFL career that included a Super Bowl title and a Pro Football Hall of Fame recognition, Bettis played three seasons at Notre Dame as a fullback from 1990-93.
He made sporadic appearances in his first season in South Bend, but he burst onto the scene in his sophomore year when he ran for 972 yards on 168 carries in 12 games and 16 touchdowns. Bettis hauled in four touchdown receptions in a season in which Notre Dame went 10-3 and won the Sugar Bowl. The following season, Bettis had 825 yards on 154 carries in 11 games with 10 touchdowns while also hauling in two touchdown receptions. Bettis declared for the NFL afterward and finished his Notre Dame career with 337 rushes for 1,912 yards (5.7 yards per carry).
Bettis returned to Notre Dame decades later and graduated from the university in 2022, and he’ll have his legacy continue in South Bend next season. His son, Jerome Bettis Jr., committed to Notre Dame for the 2025 season.