Notre Dame Football DE Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Returns After Father’s Death
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman didn’t think he’d see one of his four defensive team captains on the field on Monday, but there he was — fresh off a red-eye flight and ready to go.
That player was senior defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, whose father died suddenly and unexpectedly last week. Tagovailoa-Amosa missed an entire week of practice to mourn the loss of his dad surrounded by family in Hawaii.
And just like that, he was back in action in a Notre Dame uniform at the start of the week.
“He runs on the field, and next thing you know he goes, ‘Coach, can I get in on the drills?’ Sure, absolutely,” Freeman said.
Tagovailoa-Amosa spoke to reporters after Tuesday’s practice. He started his press conference with an opening statement, which is unusual for players. Even Freeman did not issue one in his Tuesday press conference.
But in this case, it was entirely warranted.
“I’m really blessed and fortunate to be back at practice with my brothers, my coaches,” Tagovailoa-Amosa said. “The love and support they’ve shown for me throughout this time has truly meant so much. That’s why you see me back here smiling. I’m in good spirits.
“As for Irish fans reaching out, it truly means so much to me and my family. We’re all in good spirits. No one is discouraged. And that’s all I want to comment on that.”
Tagovailoa-Amosa wasn’t finished, though. He fielded questions on the subject for the next five minutes, answering each one of them thoroughly and with grace.
He spoke about how his faith has helped him grieve. About how being back on the field with his teammates has cheered him up. About being named a team captain via a video call while he was still back in Hawaii. Players and coaches wore floral leis in honor of him and his father.
“That was the first thing I noticed, the leis,” Tagovailoa-Amosa emotionally noted.
He spoke about his father’s influence on his football career, which was profound. Tagovailoa-Amosa’s dad coached him from the day he first started to play well into his grade school years. He spoke about being an example of optimism for his little brothers back on the island.
And he spoke about perspective and sacrifice.
“My dad preached a lot about sacrifice,” Tagovailoa-Amosa said. “As you can see, I’m here now. I have to sacrifice that time with my family to be able to come back here. I have a purpose out here. I have a job to do. And even though my father won’t be out here to watch, all the more I have to honor his legacy by sacrificing time from home and coming out here and getting back to work.”
Half of Tagovailoa-Amosa’s interview was spent reflecting on his father and what comes next. Understandably so. He also entertained a variety of football-centric questions, though, and he was eager to answer those.
To Freeman and Notre Dame players, jumping right into the mix on the field and facing the media off it after the trying and tiring week he had said everything about Tagovailoa-Amosa.
“He’s a really good football player, but he has an infectious personality,” Freeman said. “And he’s our captain. It’s just great to have him back.”
“Myron’s a tough and spiritual dude,” senior linebacker Bo Bauer said. “My heart goes out to him and his family. As a leader, he’s everything you could ask for. He leads by example and is not afraid to speak up when it’s necessary, does everything the right way by having a clean locker. Just the little things you could ask for in a leader.”
Tagovailoa-Amosa is slotted as Notre Dame’s starting strong-side defensive end. He played defensive tackle for the entirety of his career before making that move this offseason. He smiled from ear to ear when a reporter noticed how lean he looks; he dropped from the 290 pounds he weighed when first arriving in South Bend in 2017 to the 260 pounds as of Tuesday.
All the while, he retained the strength that made him a physically imposing presence on the interior of the Irish defensive line for the better part of the last four seasons. Tagovailoa-Amosa said his weight-lifting numbers have increased despite the cut, and he’s much more mobile when taking on opposing offensive linemen. He spent most of the summer working on flexibility routines after weight training.
Everything Tagovailoa-Amosa has done physically will certainly help him in what will likely be his last season to wear a Notre Dame uniform. His father won’t be in the stands to watch him run out of the tunnel, sack quarterbacks and celebrate with his teammates, but Tagovailoa-Amosa believes he will be with him in spirit.
And to him, that will mean so much.
“Seeing that he can’t be here for this season and the rest of my life, it’s just an understanding that I have to carry his legacy throughout my journey,” Tagovailoa-Amosa said.
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