Adams Relishes Opportunity To Wear No. 1 Jersey

For Notre Dame sophomore running back Josh Adams, wearing the No. 1 jersey makes him think about all the Fighting Irish greats that have come before him.

“It’s an honor and it’s a blessing,” said Adams, who traded-in his No. 33 uniform for No. 1 against Michigan State last week. “It represents our university, it represents the guys that were in that room as running backs.

“It’s carrying more than just yourself on your back, you’re carrying a lot of guys who came before you. You’re also carrying that tradition. It was a blessing just to receive that news right before the game and it gave me a little more motivation.”

Beginning this season, the No. 1 jersey rotates between players from week-to-week. It's worn by a player who represents Notre Dame football on and off the field well.

Senior linebacker James Onwualu wore the No. 1 jersey against Texas. Senior cornerback Cole Luke wore it against Nevada.

Then for the Michigan State game it went to Adams, who was playing in just his 16th career game with the Irish.

“It was the way he — and since he's gotten here as a freshman, the way he's worked,” Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said when asked why Adams wore No. 1. “It's been a championship level kind of work ethic. You've got to have — to have the all time winning percentage for college football, you have to have players that are your best players.

“Also, they've got to be your best workers, and he's one of clearly our best workers in practice. So he sets a high bar, and that's why he'll wear the jersey No. 1.”

There is a large demand for single digits in college football. Adams wore No. 12 as a star running back at Central Bucks South High School in Warrington, Pennsylvania, but players routinely swap higher numbers for single digits later in their careers.

Kelly explained his rationale for starting the tradition this summer.

“That’s going to be the player who exemplifies himself both on and off the field in a manner that represents all the things we want a Notre Dame football player to represent,” Kelly said on WSBT radio in June. “And he will wear that No. 1, because it signifies that he’s the best.”

Adams said he was not expecting to receive the No. 1 jersey against the Spartans.

“My mindset was just on the game and how to prepare for it,” Adams said. “It was definitely an honor when I was made aware of it. It was definitely cool to see something like that and it just makes you want to work that much harder.

“I guess he felt that it was the right decision for that week. I try not to focus on how much why, rather focus on what I can do with it. How can I set the example and how can I make my game that much better?”