Prior to Notre Dame’s 31-14 loss to Alabama in the Rose Bowl, former Irish rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah spoke with the media about his development in South Bend — how he went from three-star safety recruit to the Butkus Award winner.
His athletic gifts were always there, but during his four years at Notre Dame, he was able to hone his body and his craft to become one of the most electric players to ever don a gold helmet. The same goes for his on-the-field leadership and ferocity: those traits can be cultivated but his innate charisma and energy were a part of him long before he played football.
“Take a look at nature,” Owusu-Koramoah explained. “You have a lion. A lion’s not the biggest, not the fastest, not the tallest, but what makes him the king of his kingdom is his attitude, and that attitude was instilled in him at birth.”
Shortly after the season, with Owusu-Koramoah and a host of his classmates off to the NFL and post-Notre Dame life, the staff jumped into the arduous process of finding the program's next lions.
The procedure began in winter workouts. That’s when Notre Dame assigned “SWAT Team” captains, veteran players prepared to push their teammates and hold them accountable in the weight room and in on-the-field conditioning.
The number of SWAT Teams varies by offseason, and this past winter, Notre Dame established 10 different units with a total of 13 captains:
Offense
• Quarterback Jack Coan
• Running back Kyren Williams
• Offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson
• Offensive lineman Josh Lugg
• Wide receiver Avery Davis
Defense
• Linebacker Bo Bauer
• Linebacker Shayne Simon
• Linebacker Drew White
• Defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa
• Nose tackle Kurt Hinish
• Safety Kyle Hamilton
Special Teams
• Kicker Jonathan Doerer
• Punter Jay Bramblett
The three sets of dual-leaders are Williams and Coan, Bauer and Simon and Doerer and Bramblett.
“They've been given the opportunity over the last few months to lead, and we'll take stock on that,” Kelly said. “They'll have this summer to lead as well, and then we'll make some decisions on who we believe will continue that and wear the 'C' on their jersey."
Unlike 2020, Notre Dame doesn’t have a single returning captain. All five — quarterback Ian Book, offensive tackle Robert Hainsey, safety Shaun Crawford and defensive ends Ade Ogundeji and Daelin Hayes — are off to the NFL.
At the same time, there are still several already established leaders on the roster. An obvious example is Tagovailoa-Amosa, who is heading into his fifth year with the program. When new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman first accepted the Notre Dame gig, he called up defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, a long-time friend, to find out who the returning leaders are.
“One of the guys he said was Myron,” Freeman said. “I remember reaching out to Myron and what an infectious attitude and energy the guy gives off.”
While the defensive line has two fifth-year SWAT Team captains in Tagovailoa-Amosa and Hinish, there are also units devoid of an obvious or established leader.
Thus, that unit will need a younger player to step up and assume that role. For instance, the tight end room lost well-respected members in senior Brock Wright and junior Tommy Tremble. Now, the most experienced tight end is freshman Michael Mayer, who this time last year was finishing up his senior year at Covington Catholic High School.
Despite his young age, it appears he’s a budding lion.
“One of the things coach [Tommy] Rees challenged me on coming into the spring was to be more of a leader, be more vocal, be more of a leader with your actions, too,” Mayer said. “I would consider myself the leader of the tight ends room right now, a leader of the offense.”
Then there are the veterans such as Lugg, a knowledgeable older player who has yet to garner a full-time starting role heading into his fifth season. He was also dealing with a nagging back injury and thus needed to strengthen his core while shedding 30 pounds during the offseason.
That’s why, prior to winter workouts, Lugg also met with Rees, the offensive coordinator, to navigate selfishly prioritizing his own work and rehab as he also assisted younger players.
“I have to move the most weight the fastest then I can go help young guys,” Lugg said. “Then I can help Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler. When we're in early winter workouts, they moved me into the freshmen group so that could be that senior leadership for those three offensive linemen that came in.
"Being able to work with them but also push myself, that established how I needed to move throughout spring ball.”
Under Kelly, Notre Dame has never had a predetermined number of captains for each season. In 2019, seven different players were named captain, but in 2011, safety Harrison Smith was the lone player to don a ‘C’ on his jersey.
In 2021, chances are the number of team captains will be somewhere in the middle, but the players who earn such an honor are already establishing themselves as a leader in the weight room and on the spring practice field.
Come the fall, which of the 13 SWAT Team captains will it be?
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