Who Is the Most Successful NFL Player From Notre Dame’s Record-Breaking College Football Program?

Notre Dame is riding their dream to clinch the first-ever national title since 1988. The utopian head coach Marcus Freeman mounted a historic season, not dropping the ball even once after taking a single punch in the gut against Northern Illinois. The lesson culminated in a breakthrough comeback for the Irish to set the rest of their season on a seismic high. They just have to take care of the business in one more game against the rowdy Buckeyes led by beleaguered Ryan Day. If they can walk out of the Mercedes Benz Stadium with a smile, the trophy, the ring, the money, everything will tag alone.

But a pretty underrated benefit you should not sleep with is how it helps to enhance the NFL stock of a lot of the players in the Irish squad. History witnessed a hoard of legends shaping up their careers in the NFL from the ND camp and never looked back.

The leading light of the NFL from Notre Dame football:

The Fighting Irish might not be on the frontline in terms of title count in the last two to three decades, but they are one of the chart rulers in terms of producing premium NFL talents each year. NFL and college football reality is outright different and not every program can make talents who perfectly fit the big league’s norms and styles. Notre Dame is a figurehead, paving the way for other schools to emerge as the NFL drafts hub. If you’re a classic Notre Dame fan, you must have heard of names like Tim Brown, Joe Theismann, Brady Quinn, Jerome Bettis and Manti Te’o. They are all the NFL supremos with giant numbers under the belt belonging to the Irish roster in their collegiate career. But who among them is the best of the best for a school with the rich tradition of Notre Dame?

Well, it’s none other than Joe Montana. Montana garnered a lot of eyeballs in his pro career, but all the historic glory started from his Notre Dame career. So, the collegiate stint is significant in its own right. He suited up for a total of 27 games and threw over 4,000 yards with 25 touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns in his tenure with the Irish.

However, possessing the numbers and talent, he remained underrated on the NFL grounds. Montana couldn’t make it to the first round. After a lot of back and forth, he got drafted at the end of the third round by the 49ers. There was no looking back since then. Montana led the team to four Super Bowls and nine divisional crowns and mounted a heck of 40,000 yards in his storied career.

Before Tom Brady, Joe Montana was the trademark benchmark for quarterbacks. Apart from his title and record,  Montana’s ability to remain calm in high-pressure situations made him widely popular as “Joe Cool.” His stewardship, big presence, and clutch performances still hold value for the youngsters. Can Riley Leonard be the next prolific player in the NFL?

Riley Leonard takes down Joe Montana’s record

Riley Leonard is turning the tides of the Notre Dame football both on and off the field. During the high-flying game against Penn State, the first half went all wrong for the Irish. Penn State’s pass rush was outright destructive in the first half, successfully cornering Freeman and his team. But thanks to Riley Leonard, the QB highly regarded for his cannon arm. But this time, he experimented a bit, and it worked out seamlessly.

Leonard leaned on the running game to gain control of the game. After hitting RB Aneyas Williams for a 36-yard pass, the QB ran for another 15 yards, creating a goal-line push. Unfortunately, he had to leave the field with an injury shortly after, but he lifted the team by that time. Not only did he just save a game, but he also touched a never-achieved milestone of legend Montana. His three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter is the 43rd rushing score of the season for Notre Dame (the previous single-season high was 42 in 1989).

Even though the GOAT could flex a national championship back in 1977 with 131 rushing yards, Riley broke his rushing numbers. A championship trophy can make him a perfect successor to Montana both in college and the NFL.

Let’s keep our eyes hooked on the approaching Notre Dame vs Ohio State high-voltage clash at Atlanta!