Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 NOV. 27, 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME BGI: What led you to walk on at Notre Dame? Ketterer: "Growing up here and going to school only 30 minutes away, going to college at Notre Dame was always kind of a dream. It's something I didn't necessar- ily think I could do when I was younger, but when I was given the opportunity it was quite an easy decision. "I had an offer from Valpara- iso and had talked with Purdue, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan for a little bit but none of those ever came to fruition because right when I got to Notre Dame as a preferred walk-on, I took it. "Being here now, I definitely made the right decision." BGI: How special was the mo- ment you received the offer from Notre Dame? Ketterer: "Right when I got it, it was definitely something special. I wasn't going to have many looks out of high school. When I got that, it was like all the hard work had paid off. It was a great moment." BGI: What was it like to prepare the Notre Dame defense during Navy week as the No. 1 scout team quarterback? Ketterer: "It was challenging, but one of the most fun weeks I've had on scout team. I was familiar with the triple option in high school. I had been run- ning that type of stuff since fifth grade in New Prairie, Ind. It was an easy tran- sition. "I took two years away from it but coming back to it was special. It's def- initely different running it in college. You've got guys much faster, much big- ger running after you. It makes the reads harder but easier at the same time be- cause it's a little easier to see them. "There was a lot of preparation put into the scout team that week. It was a great and fun week." BGI: Did you score against Notre Dame's No. 1 defense in practice that week? Ketterer: "Yeah, I did. There was an option for a trap play and I took it outside. We ran a pretty good one. The whole team was running down. That was a crazy play." BGI: What was it like to have such an important role in a full week of Notre Dame football practices? Ketterer: "Just to point out one guy, when you're reading the triple option and you're reading the end and Isaiah Foskey is coming at you full speed al- most every single play, it was definitely a little different. "The first few plays get your atten- tion. But then you obviously get a little bit more comfortable every play. It was definitely challenging going against guys like that though." BGI: You recorded a tackle on special teams against Navy. A video captured the Notre Dame sideline getting excited for you and running to celebrate with you. How rewarding was that moment? Ketterer: "That was something I'll never forget, for sure. I'm just so grateful to Coach [Brian] Polian for even giving me the opportunity. He told me before the game I might go in on punt return. Toward the end of the game that wasn't really an option, so he threw me in on kickoff. "I had only ever done scout kickoff in practice, so it was a lit- tle different. But making the play and then having everyone around me, it was just a surreal moment. A dream type moment. All the guys came up to me and said, 'You earned that this week. You earned it.' "It was just a crazy experience and something I'll never forget." BGI: What's your major and what would life ideally look like for you after football? Ketterer: "I'm studying finance in the Mendoza College of Business. I'm not totally sure what I want to do after college yet. I'm only a sophomore. But I guess the dream would be getting into an NFL Draft room. "I think that would be something that sparks my eye and something I would really love to do." BGI: WOPU Nation has an NIL deal with Augie's Locker Room in South Bend. What are your thoughts on Au- gie's Locker Room, a must-see mem- orabilia shop right across from Notre Dame's campus? Ketterer: "It's unlike any other place. There are little Notre Dame boutiques around, but this one is something dif- ferent. He's got stuff from the Rudy movie, all these old jerseys, all these player-exclusive things. "It's something different. You have to go in and look for yourself." Ketterer ran the scout team as a triple-option quarterback the week before the Fighting Irish played against Navy. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL W A L K - O N P L A Y E R S U N I O N WOPU WOPU SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT BY TYLER HORKA Q&A With Sophomore Running Back Chase Ketterer