BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM DECEMBER 2023 15
"It's been a journey, a ride, a lot of
ups and downs, but I'm so blessed that
I chose this place," Estimé said. "This
place honestly changed my life for the
better."
Likewise, Estimé changed Notre
Dame for the better. Regardless of
what happens in the next month, he
will finish his career with more than
2,000 rushing yards at a highly effi-
cient (about 6.0 yards per carry) clip.
Through Week 12, he had scored 14
touchdowns in 2023. That's another
career high, and another stat that will
appeal to teams at the next level.
Freeman knows this, and he left Es-
timé in after the game got out of hand.
Even though the Irish led by plenty and
would ultimately beat the Demon Dea-
cons 45-7, Freeman kept giving his top
running back the ball.
"We wanted to get him over 100
yards," Freeman said. "That was im-
portant to us in possibly his last game
at Notre Dame Stadium, to get him over
100 yards."
Estimé finished the game with 115.
Freeman doesn't typically like to hunt
individual stats, but he made an excep-
tion for No. 7. It only felt right. ✦
Estimé, who had 1,103 yards rushing through 11 games this year, is rated as the second-best running back for the upcoming NFL Draft by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER
