Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM APRIL 2025 21 "We go by 'Irvington tough,'" Adon Shuler said. "I just feel like I have to continue to have that no matter where I'm at." NOTHING GIVEN Don Shuler has lived in Irvington his entire life, and he understands the chal- lenges that come with growing up there. "Nothing is given to any of us, espe- cially the kids," the elder Shuler said. "Basically, everything you get, you have to earn." The education system, Don Shuler explained, is not as robust as the well- known private schools to the north. They don't always have the best equip- ment for sports, despite a strong foot- ball culture. The environment also pro- duces distractions for kids, even though Don Shuler said it has gotten better since he grew up. "A lot of these kids have to fend for themselves, not necessarily because they want to, but because their parents have to work a lot of hours," Don Shuler said. "It's definitely a gritty environ- ment. Not everybody can survive, es- pecially if you don't have a village sur- rounding the kids." Fortunately for the young Adon, he had a village. He grew up with uncles, aunts, grandparents and, of course, Don and his wife (Adon's mom) Fran. He was smart, too. And he embraced the "Ir- vington Tough" moniker that Pierre, now the defensive coordinator at Far- leigh Dickinson, created with the Blue Knights. "It came from, regardless of what the circumstance is, you just gotta go and figure out how to overcome it," Pierre said. "I think the toughness piece is that you gotta be mentally, physically tough in order to overcome it. Regardless of what your situation is, you can't cry about living in poverty. … You can't cry about having nothing." Pierre would also make sure to sched- ule Irvington against the Bergen Catho- lics and St. Peter's Preps of the world, so that his players would get noticed by college evaluators. Don Shuler said he helped change the narrative about pub- lic schools in New Jersey, even though Irvington has had college and NFL-level talent for years. That, Don Shuler said, is how Adon initially got noticed. He committed to Notre Dame extremely early, the Au- gust before his junior season. Even as his offer list grew post-commitment, he stuck with the Irish and he stuck with the attitude that got him there. "I think he carries it the right way," Pierre said. "He understands that he has to be confident, but be humble." WHAT NOTRE DAME NEEDED Even ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Chris Fowler might not have known how perfect the nickname he gave Shuler was. In his first career start, the sopho- more played single-high coverage and put himself in position to intercept an overthrow from Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman in College Station. As Shuler ran toward the Aggies' end zone, Fowler said, "Tough Jersey kid!" Shuler would play like one all season. "He doesn't flinch," Don Shuler said. "No matter the guys who are lined up against him, or whoever's an All-Amer- ican, or the size of a running back, a 6-6, 6-7 tight end, he doesn't flinch. "He brings that confidence. Not cocky, just confidence in his spirit and his abilities." Shuler finished the year with 59 tack- les, 3 interceptions (including a 36-yard pick six in the fourth quarter against Georgia Tech), 5 passes defended, that forced fumble against Georgia and a fumble recovered in his home state against Navy. More to the point, though, he added an edge to the Irish defense. "I think that's kind of what Notre Dame needed," Pierre said. "Getting an inner-city kid like him from a pub- lic school was kind of different, and I think it kind of helped the guys overall on defense." Back in Irvington, Shuler has been committed to giving back to the place that raised him. According to Scholas- tic, Shuler is minoring in real estate and he hopes to use that to renovate parts of his hometown. "When I'm home, my mom and I al- ways watch a house flipper or building show on HGTV," Shuler told Scholastic. "With my real estate minor, my plan is to rebuild my community from the ground up." His passion for the community largely comes from his parents. "We always were into giving back, no matter what it may be," Don Shuler said. "My wife has fed the homeless, things like that. Adon has done it as well, done it and experienced it because we see what goes on in the community and we're in a position to help." A week before Shuler began fall camp last season — during which he won the starting safety job opposite Xavier Watts — he spoke at the Irvington Golden Knights youth program. His dad has coached youth football in Irvington since the late 1990s. The next generation of tough Jersey kids sat and listened, looking up to the soon-to-be breakout star. ✦ Shuler finished the year with 59 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER