Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman fights back tears as he pays tribute to New Orleans victims after Georgia win
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman struggled to contain his emotions as he celebrated the win over Georgia with a tribute to the victims of the New Orleans terror attack.
The Fighting Irish reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff with a 23-10 victory at Caesars Superdome — not far from where 14 people died on New Year’s Eve.
“As we celebrate this wonderful moment, I would like to extend our condolences to all those affected in the city of New Orleans,” Freeman said after a turbulent evening.
Freeman also thanked Notre Dame fans who traveled to Louisiana for the game, which was postponed after the tragedy.
The coach’s comments were echoed by quarterback Riley Leonard.
He told ESPN: “It’s been a really tough week and our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families who were affected a few days ago. We pray for them.’
Marcus Freeman fought back tears as he paid tribute to the victims of the New Orleans attack
The Fighting Irish reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff with a 23-10 victory over Georgia
New Orleans is rocked after a terrorist drove a vehicle into a large crowd, killing fourteen people
The game was postponed after the devastating attack, in which Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, drove a truck into a large crowd celebrating the New Year.
The shocking tragedy claimed the lives of 14 and left 35 injured, while Jabbar was killed by police in a shootout.
Before the game, both players, coaches, staff and fans – plus emotional New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell – stopped for a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and a moment of silence.
At the end of the national anthem, passionate chants of “USA” echoed around Caesars Superdome.
A few hours later, Freeman celebrated with his young family, leading the Notre Dame players in an emotional rendition of the school’s fight song.
They stood arm in arm and sang along with their supporters in the stands. During the trophy presentation, Freeman’s voice broke as he reflected on the victory.
‘What a great moment for this program. “I wish we could bring all these guys on this stage because it takes everyone to achieve this,” he said.
‘It’s a great group and they choose hard every day. It is an honor to be part of the program.”
Freeman later led the Notre Dame players in an emotional rendition of the school’s fight song
Before the match, Freeman had said: “It is in the most difficult moments that the culture of any program, of a nation, is revealed,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence that we will rally around the city of New Orleans.”
A SWAT team, as well as bomb-sniffing dogs and their handlers, were out and about around the Superdome Thursday, while hundreds more police officers lined the surrounding streets.
Police dogs were seen sniffing vehicles entering the stadium and the personal belongings of anyone going to their seats.
The Fighting Irish will now compete in the Orange Bowl, where they will play No. 6 Penn State, with the winner of that game advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Ohio State faces Texas in the other semifinal.