Before Cam Hart steps on the field inside Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, for Notre Dame's season opener against Navy on Aug. 26, he'll reflect on his last four years in South Bend.
Hart, a three-star recruit out of Olney (Md.) Good Counsel, enrolled at Notre Dame as one of the lowest-rated recruits in Notre Dame's 2019 class. His Rivals Rating of 5.6 was tied with athlete Kendall Abdur-Rahman and only ahead of punter Jay Bramblett's 5.5 in the Irish class.
During his freshman year, Hart switched positions from wide receiver to cornerback. Over his career, he battled shoulder injuries that led to missed games and spring practices.
Now, after a minor injury last week that Hart brushed off as nothing, he feels 100% and ready to serve the Irish as one of four team captains.
“Notre Dame’s school is hard, on the field is hard, social life [is] hard, it gets cold …. Having to overcome that adversity time after time and then getting to the point that I am now just looking back in retrospect, it’s kind of crazy but [I'm] appreciative of it," Hart told Inside ND Sports.
Hart said being named captain still hasn't sunk in, but he believes it will over the next few days. Hart's close friend, Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, served as a team captain for the Irish in 2021 and congratulated Hart on the honor. The two haven't sat down and spoken yet due to preseason camp schedules, but Hart said they will connect soon and have a meaningful conversation.
The 6-foot-3, 207-pound graduate student wasn't announced as a captain until earlier this week, but Hart said he took on a similar responsibility in the spring although limited by injury.
"More so in the meeting room," Hart said. "With guys like Christian [Gray], Benjamin [Morrison], [Jaden] Mickey, Micah Bell, just meeting with those guys off the field and showing them what I see, showing them the difference of how I watched film from freshman year to now, type of tendencies I pick up on. ...
"It was really hard to lead on the field because the way we do it, we're working out during practice so you don't really see the reps. But when practice was over, I would always grab one of them, go in the meeting room, just break down their practice and tell them what I see and reiterate the things [cornerbacks] coach [Mike] Mickens was saying in the meeting before."
Hart said he isn't the most vocal teammate, but he'll lead by example and make sure every cornerback views him as a big brother to lean on when they're going through the ups and downs of the season or anything outside of football.
Morrison, who started nine games as a Freshman All-American, is expected to return as a starter alongside Hart this season. Although Morrison enrolled in June of last year, he said Hart was one of his closest teammates from the beginning and their bond has only grown stronger in the last year.
"Cam's like a big brother," Morrison said. "I mean, Cam just teaches me how to grow up. I mean, that was the biggest thing that he taught me and he continues to teach me that like yeah, I'm a sophomore, I could be in some eyes young, but he's showed me that I've had to grow up fast and ultimately lead. So, Cam is just ... he's the type of dude who you want to play for. He's the type of leader you want to play for."
Head coach Marcus Freeman has challenged the veterans to set the standard for the younger players, and Hart admitted there have been bumps in the road through preseason camp. Nonetheless, his message to the younger cornerbacks has remained the same.
“I feel like we’re very talented and that goes without saying but throughout camp, we kind of slipped up on the small details of things,” Hart said. “I think especially the younger guys just reminding them everyday to focus on the small details, being disciplined, especially during weeks like this, we’re playing Navy and it has to be the most disciplined game we play all season and [the] most disciplined game they’ve played to this point in their lives.”
Discipline is important on and off the field for Hart, who doesn't take his opportunity for granted. Hart said he always thinks about where he came from and calls back home to stay level-headed when facing adversity.
"Just thinking back on my life, not to get too deep, but this is where I come from, I'm blessed to be here," Hart said. "I'm not in Baltimore dealing with some of the people that I grew up with. I'm not there with them ... not to say like that's a bad thing but its blessed to be able to play college football at Notre Dame and make it out of the situation I was in."
After making 20 starts in the last two seasons, Hart said he's benefited from Freeman's offseason plan that emphasizes efficiency and recovery for players.
This time last August, Hart was dealing with a hamstring injury. After an offseason where his workouts were tracked and his workload was monitored, he's rejuvenated and ready for action.
"I mean, talking with some of my friends, Kyren [Williams], Kyle, I think he's taking more of an NFL approach," Hart said. "Obviously, I haven't been there but just comparing some of the things that we do and what they're doing on their level, it's quite similar.
"I don't know the science or anything behind it but I think they're looking more into the sports science of things. We're always getting evaluated on how swollen we are and how prepared we are for this practice, and I'm appreciative of it. I feel great going into the season."
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