Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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16 SEPT. 7, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY JACK SOBLE W hen the time came for the vote, it seemed obvious. But that wasn't always the case. For Riley Leonard, being named a captain at Notre Dame was the culmination of nearly eight months of ups, downs and a conscious effort to win the locker room. "I told the guys, it's the greatest honor of my life to this point," Leonard said. "It's really because my teammates voted on that. They saw my name and they wrote my name down. That really just meant a lot to me." Leonard, who came to Notre Dame from Duke in December, is the second straight graduate transfer quarterback to be named an Irish captain. Sam Hart- man earned the same honor in 2023. The Fairhope, Ala., native hit a road- block early, being unable to participate in winter workouts and most of spring practice after two surgeries on his right ankle. He did his best, but ultimately, it's difficult to lead a team from the sideline. Internally, doubt started to creep in. Leonard started to wonder if the Irish thought they had acquired a transfer sig- nal-caller who would do nothing but sit. The thing about Leonard, though, is when he has doubts, it only motivates him to work harder. He's determined, whether it be diving for a first down or going the extra mile to earn his team- mates' respect. "These guys might not have my trust now, but I'm going to prove it to them every day, and I'm going to go to work every single day in the summer," Leon- ard said. "So obviously, I set a goal to be captain and it paid off." A STUDY SET AND A TRIP DOWN SOUTH Leonard's first idea for integrat- ing himself among his new teammates actually came from his longtime girl- friend, Molly Walding. As ESPN first reported in springtime, Leonard created a set of flashcards on Quizlet, an online study platform com- monly used by students of all ages to prepare for exams. He put a name on one side and a face on the other for ev- ery Notre Dame player. "I was like, 'Dude, I want to do every single thing that I can to make sure I'm prepared,'" Leonard told Blue & Gold Illustrated in June. Leonard studied the Quizlet set every GREATEST HONOR Transfer quarterback Riley Leonard won over the locker room at Notre Dame en route to being named a team captain Leonard hosted a week-long gathering of Irish quarterbacks and receivers in his hometown of Fairhope, Ala., in May — during which the group trained with eight- time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers and David Morris of QB Country, while also spending time together away from the gridiron. Top row, from left to right, Kris Mitchell, Deion Colzie, CJ Carr, Leonard, Jayden Thomas, Beaux Collins and Deuce Knight. Bottom row, from left to right, Jayden Harrison and Jaden Greathouse. PHOTO COURTESY MR. GENE'S BEANS