Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BY TODD D. BURLAGE R ylie Mills admitted after his memo- rable Super Bowl moment that he may have been suffering from a case of paralysis by over-analysis during his rookie season with the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. So, when the first-year defensive tackle was called on for a rare opportu- nity in the biggest game of his career, it was time to think less and do more. With the AFC champion New Eng- land Patriots trailing Seattle 6-0 in the second quarter and facing a second- and-7, Mills threw caution to the wind, called on the dominating bull rush he often used at Notre Dame last season, sacked New England quarterback Drake Maye for a 10-yard loss and kept mo- mentum firmly in Seattle's favor. "I told myself last night, I was like, 'No more thinking, just go,'" Mills said shortly after Seattle secured a 29-13 win and the Super Bowl LX title. "I got the moment and just said, 'I'm going to go and let it rip.'" The first sack of Mills' NFL career was a bright spot for the 2025 fifth-round draft pick who spent most of this season sidelined with a knee injury he suffered at Notre Dame during a College Football Playoff win over Indiana in December 2024. When Mills was later asked if he could have ever imagined making such an impactful play after recording just 29 snaps and 3 total tackles in five game appearances with Seattle before the Su- per Bowl, his answer didn't surprise. "No," he said. "I wasn't even walking a year ago, so this is insane." In a similar injury-to-hero story from the Super Bowl, Seahawks cornerback Julian Love was back at full health and the former Irish star put the game on ice when he intercepted a pass with 5:35 remaining in the fourth quarter that protected a 19-7 Seattle lead and ended any hope of the Patriots making a mi- raculous comeback. "It's special," Love said of securing the game and the second-ever Super Bowl title for Seattle. "I've dreamed of this my whole life. Yeah, this is a dream come true." THREE IRISH NAMED NFL ALL-PRO Highlighted by one first-team se- lection and a six-time honoree, Notre Dame was again well-represented on the 2025-26 NFL All-Pro list. Follow- ing are the three former Irish who were chosen this postseason. S Kyle Hamilton (Ravens): Se- lected as an All-Pro for the third time during his four NFL seasons, Hamil- ton was named a first-teamer for the second time in his career after earning second-team honors in 2024-25. OG Quenton Nelson (Colts): A reg- ular on this list, Nelson was selected an All-Pro for the sixth time in eight NFL seasons after helping the Colts amass 2,007 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns this season. PK Brandon Aubrey (Cowboys): Named an All-Pro for the third time in three NFL seasons, Aubrey — a second- team selection — made 36 of 42 field goal attempts and 47 of 48 point after tries this season. ✦ Former Irish Shine In Super Bowl LX I R I S H I N T H E P R O S Rylie Mills (left) and Julian Love (right) helped the Seahawks to a 29-13 victory over the Patriots, with Mills recording a sack and Love making an interception. PHOTOS COURTESY SEATTLE SEAHAWKS FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Dane Goodwin, (Played at Notre Dame from 2018-23), SG, Grand Rapids Gold, NBA G League Holding out hope of someday sticking on an NBA roster, Goodwin was averaging 16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 18 games with the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Gold of the NBA's developmental G League. Since going undrafted in 2023, Goodwin has made brief stints with the Sacramento Kings and the Utah Jazz organizations but he has yet to make his NBA debut. Blake Wesley (2021-22), G, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA Seeing an increase in minutes this season after being traded from San Antonio to Portland in July, the 2022 first-round draft pick was averaging 6.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds through Feb. 9. Three times in the span of six games between Oct. 29 and Feb. 7, the South Bend native scored 10 points, and four times during that stretch he tallied at least 4 assists. Kyren Williams (2019-21), RB, Los Angeles Rams, NFL The 2022 fifth-round draft pick was an important cog in leading the Rams to the NFC Championship Game. In three playoffs contests — victories over the Panthers and the Bears and a loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks — Williams recorded 183 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, and added 8 receptions for 70 yards and 2 scores. The St. Louis native finished the regular season with 1,252 rushing yards, 281 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns. BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2026 93