Notre Dame grad senior linebacker JD Bertrand donates part of his scholarship check and NIL earnings to charity, and he visits the Ronald McDonald House before every home game.
And that’s only a sampling of the impact of Notre Dame football’s leading tackler the past three seasons is having off the field.
The Wuerffel Foundation has taken notice and on Tuesday named Bertrand one of three finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy, branded as college football’s premier award for community service.
The award is named after former Florida quarterback Danny Wueffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner, who “pivoted his success on the football field into a lifetime of service.”
Michigan running back Blake Corum and Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey are the other two finalists. The winner will be named on Dec. 8, live during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.
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Bertrand has led the Irish in tackles the past three seasons — 101 in 2021, 82 last season, and 75 so far this season, with a bowl game still to come for No. 16 Notre Dame (9-3). He’s part of an Irish defense that ranks No. 8 in total defense and No. 9 in scoring defense.
Among his other off-the-field contributions, the two year-captain is an Eagle Scout, who was selected as a member of the 2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. He has done extensive work with Uplifting Athletes.
Former Irish linebacker Drue Tranquill is Notre Dame's previous winner, in 2018, for the award given annually since 2005. Former Irish offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons won it last year while a member of the Florida State Seminoles.
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