Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 SEPT. 20, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE T o the surprise of some but not all, the Los Angeles Chargers put the ulti- mate faith in former Irish All-American Joe Alt this preseason when the fran- chise named the second-year offensive tackle one of its six team captains, just days before a 27-21 win over division rival Kansas City Sept. 5. Captainship is often reserved for more veteran players. But with the quick rise Alt, 22, has made both on the field and as a leader, his teammates bestowed this high honor on a player who's been with his team for only about 16 months. "It's an honor to be chosen by your teammates to lead," said Alt, who was also a captain at Notre Dame in 2023. "For me, my focus is just to continue to do what I've been doing and lead by example to the best of my ability." So far, so good for Alt, even under some unexpected and difficult circum- stances. A season-ending knee injury to Chargers starting left tackle Rashawn Slater in August forced Alt to move from right tackle, where he started as a rookie last year, to Slater's spot on the left side, the position Alt played at Notre Dame. During the key season-opening win over the defending AFC champion Chiefs, Alt made the difficult position transition look easy. In 41 pass-blocking opportunities, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft pitched a perfect game, allowing no sacks, no hurries, no quarterback hits and no pressures. For his effort, Alt earned a 91.4 pass-block- ing grade from Pro Football Focus, the best mark of any NFL tackle in Week 1. For Chargers quarterback Justin Her- bert and head coach Jim Harbaugh, Alt's first NFL game at left tackle was cause for celebration, reason for relief, and a sign of what might be ahead for this talented of- fense. "You can never play a perfect game, but it was close. It was really close," Harbaugh said of Alt's performance. "As well as Joe played l a s t yea r, h e 's s t i l l maybe been our most improved player this season. It showed in Week 1." AN UNLIKELY HERO Even Steelers first- year quarterback Aaron Rodgers admitted to b e i n g s u r p r i s e d a t which receiver caught the first touchdown pass the future Hall of Famer threw in the black and gold. On a team loaded with fine pass catchers for Rodgers to choose from, it was former Irish wide receiver Ben Skowronek who came open in the first quarter on a crossing route for a 22-yard touchdown catch in a hard-fought 34- 32 win over the Jets Sept. 7. "He was wide open," Rodgers said of Skowronek after the game. "I was throwing the ball thinking, 'Man, Ben's gonna score the first touchdown today.'" Skowronek played only 10 offensive snaps in the game, and his scoring catch was his only target and reception. "We're all options every play, that's what [Rodgers] always tells us," Skow- ronek said of staying engaged, even with limited offensive snaps. "Run every route to get open." Listed as almost a 100-to-1 shot to score a touchdown in the game, Skow- ronek defied those odds and later added a key fumble recovery on special teams in the fourth quarter that the Steelers parlayed into another touchdown and a 31-26 lead. "[Skowronek] has an unwavering be- lief in self," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "Sometimes it's unrealis- tic, but man, if you don't believe in you, who will?" ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Robert Hainsey (Played at Notre Dame from 2017-20), C, Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL After signing a three-year, $21 million contract with the Jaguars in March, the Pitts- burgh native made his first start at center with his new team Sept. 7, and helped the Jaguars to a 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Hainsey did not allow a pressure in 32 opportunities to earn an impressive 84.1 pass- blocking grade from PFF and a 78.0 offense grade. Kyle Hamilton (2019-21), S, Baltimore Ravens, NFL The Atlanta native and two-time Irish All-American recorded 9 tackles, 2 passes de- fended and 1 forced fumble, and he also intercepted a pass on a two-point conversion attempt in 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills Sept. 7. For his effort, Pro Football Focus handed Hamilton a 93.4 grade, a rating that ranked second among all defensive players during the NFL's opening weekend. Julian Love (2016-18), S, Seattle Seahawks, NFL The Westchester, Ill., native made 10 tackles, including 3 defensive stops (tackles that result in a failure for the offense), and 1 sack in a 17-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers Sept. 7. Also terrific in pass defense, the 2018 Irish All-American was not targeted in cover- age, and he added a blocked field in the game as well. Second-Year Tackle Joe Alt Rooting Himself As An NFL Star I R I S H I N T H E P R O S Alt has moved from right tackle to left tackle, and he was named one of six team captains just before the Los Angeles Chargers' season-opening 27-21 win over Kansas City Sept. 5. PHOTO BY TY NOWELL/LOS ANGELES CHARGERS