By Jeffery Green | @Jeffery_Agreen
Sports Capital Journalism Program
ATLANTA – Near the start of Notre Dame’s Media Day appearance at the Georgia World Congress Center, a crowd was gathering in front of Jack Kiser’s podium. Not all of the listeners were members of the media. Defensive teammates swarmed around Kiser, who smiled as they watched him answer questions.
“It’s been the best thing for me, being the old guy, the uncle in the group and taking care of you guys and making sure you guys make good, smart decisions,” Kiser said to his teammates. “… It’s been awesome and also kept me young in a spirit sense.”
At the age of 24, near the end of his sixth season in a record-setting Notre Dame journey, a college career will end in the College Football Playoff National Championship against Ohio State. The past week has become a time of anticipation and reflection.
“To think you go to Notre Dame from such a small community, small town, and you work your way up…everything goes back to your hometown, and for me that’s Pioneer High School,” Kiser said. “…. It’s a pretty unique feeling and pretty special, and to see myself grow all the way and become the player I am today, it’s pretty humbling and very exciting.”
According to an email from NCAA Director of Media Coordination/Statistics David Worlock, Kiser will play his 70th game against Ohio State, the most played at a single FBS school.
The impact Kiser has made in Notre Dame’s return to championship contender status has become a matter of perspective.
“He’s a Notre Dame icon,” said defensive coordinator Al Golden.
“He’s a pain in the backside, quite frankly,” said offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock.
Golden was referring to the elite-level academic and community commitment that made Kaiser a finalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, known as the “academic Heisman,” that is presented by the National Football Foundation. In high school, Kiser became Valedictorian and won the Lilly Endowment, a scholarship program in Indiana that provides a full scholarship based on academic achievement, service and character.
Kiser has an undergraduate degree in Business Analytics and a Master’s of Accountancy. His 3.97 grade point average earned the Tom Frecka Achievement Award for the top GPA in the university’s Master of Accountancy Program. Kiser is working toward a second graduate degree in Arts and Letters.
“He represents everything that we want to represent in the classroom, in the community, on the football field,” Golden said. “Everything that he’s experienced right now is really well deserved.”
Denbrock was referring to the disruptions and complications that regularly confront the Irish offense during practice because of Kiser’s intelligence and intensity. “As much as I try to have some fun with Coach Golden with some of the formations that I run, I have to do that for Jack,” Denbrock said. “Otherwise Jack is going to sniff out everything that I’m doing and know what we’re doing before we even do it. That’s how smart of a football player he is. It’s awesome.”
From here to Kiser’s hometown of Royal Center, Ind. (population 802 according to the 2020 census) the quality those around him discuss again and again is his leadership. “He’s someone that goes out there every day and tries to put his best foot forward,” said defensive lineman Rylie Mills, a teammate of Kiser’s for the last four years. “So just great leadership, great stability in the room. He’s a great voice for the younger guys to listen to.”
Kiser’s leadership ability began long before he joined the Fighting Irish in 2019. Adam Berry, his coach at Pioneer High School, remembered discovering the quality before the start of Kiser’s high school career. “Even as a freshman, sophomore, he was a leader of the upperclassman and they honestly looked up to him,” Berry said by phone from the school. “He knew the ins and outs of the game like that. He truly helped us coaches out.”
Kiser led his school to consecutive Indiana Class A state championships in his junior and senior seasons. In his career, he had 424 tackles (20.5 for loss), 20 interceptions, nine forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and two blocked punts. He also passed for 3,771 yards, including 59 touchdowns, and ran for 7,364 yards.
“Even as a 10-year-old you just knew there was something special about him,” Berry said. “Just seeing the natural leadership that he had, even as an elementary student, you just knew there was something special. And then watching him grow into at the time just that high school player.”
Coming from a small town, it can be hard to get the recognition others just as skilled might receive at larger schools. Kiser’s family understood what needed to happen to create the opportunity he had earned. “They did a great job going to the correct camps to get his name out there,” Berry said. “They invested in getting down to Indy Select out of Indianapolis and play on their high 7-on-7. I’d say that helped him in his recruiting and getting noticed.”
As a leader on a Notre Dame defense that has held its opponents to just 14.3 points, second-best this season among Football Bowl Subdivision schools behind Ohio State, Kiser will lead the effort to win a first national championship since the 1988 Irish won the 1989 Fiesta Bowl. Switching from Rover to Will linebacker this season, he is playing some of his best football. “His game is stronger than it ever has been,” Golden said. “… And really that’s how you get these games.”
His hometown has not forgotten. Berry said that when the elementary school had spirit days last week, students wrote good-luck letters. Kiser continues to show them that all things are possible. “When you love the game a lot and you put in the hard work and don’t let your circumstances dictate what you can do and what you can’t do,” he said. “I’m living proof of that, being here, and staying at Notre Dame, and getting the opportunity to play.”
A game for a championship will mark the end of a college football career and the beginning of so much more.
“I didn’t choose Notre Dame to come be a great football player,” Kiser said. “I chose Notre Dame to come be a great man.”
