Sam Hartman Talks Chris Tyree, Notre Dame Defense, USC Victory

Maybe a win over his new biggest rival is just what Sam Hartman needs. Maybe all those adoring fans who surrounded him as he exited the Notre Dame Stadium field and inched his way to his postgame press conference as those fans cheered and chanted his name brought something different out of the veteran quarterback.

Hartman has been relatively unrevealing when he speaks with the media after games. He’s been more Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh of Bull Durham fame than Muhammad Ali with his public thoughts. That changed Saturday night when Hartman fell somewhere in between when he cited reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

"I don't condone everything he does, but saw a thing where he talks about pre-fight,” Hartman began. "(Jones) talks about the butterflies are in formation when you get butterflies or a pit in your stomach. Not to say that that's some crazy cool message that's going to end up on some cool highlight, but it's what I felt the team felt.”

Hartman always finds a way to deflect praise and point it to everyone else around him, like his head coach, Marcus Freeman.

"It's a credit to our head coach,” Hartman said of Freeman. "Without his leadership and guidance through a new landscape where losses aren't acceptable, and not to say that other losses are, but it was something that just from day one, from Monday night when we were in there and guys are beat up and we're all kind of like, shoot, man, we got to go.”

Or the defense.

"One of the best defensive performances I've ever seen against one of the best offenses in the country,” Hartman said after watching his defensive teammates intercept reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams three times and sack him six times.

Or his offensive line.

"It starts with Zeke (Correll) and the guys on the outside,” Hartman said of the Irish blockers. "They really set the tone, and Zeke was the first one in the building and he was the first one getting everyone motivated, and just kept saying all week, take your mind there. That was probably the best thing anyone could say. You're in the dog days of it, it's Tuesday, eight-week bender and we're rolling. To get guys freaking going like we did this Saturday was incredible. They set the tone for the rest of the season that you got to play Notre Dame.”

Three games had eclipsed since Hartman had connected with an Irish receiver on a pass play of 40-plus yards prior to the matchup agains the Trojans, but that changed when he hit Chris Tyree on a 46-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Hartman threw praise at the veteran converted running back as well as new scholarship freshman receiver Jordan Faison for their work both on the play and leading up to it.

"It's a credit to him,” Hartman said of Tyree. "I'm so glad you asked about CT. You don't see that anywhere really ever, older guy like that. His persistence, who he is as a man will take him so much further than anyone can ever know, and that's something that I'll always be forever grateful for him. To be an older guy and have some struggles and have to change positions, like that itself, and he's had some bad stuff and some drops and some things you're like, 'Oh, man you got to make that play.' He just kept showing up.

"You bring Faison in, an incredible player, and you're like, most guys, probably, I'm going to take a step,” Hartman continued. "Chris kept showing up. Chris helped Faison and Faison helped him get open on that play. It's a credit to the coaching, the culture here, and just to Chris as a man. You don't find that everywhere, and I was so happy.”

Hartman’s a college football unicorn. He’s a sixth-year college football player who is only at Notre Dame thanks to the unprecedented extra year of eligibility created by the 2020 pandemic. He also wasn’t deemed good enough to be day one or two or maybe even day three NFL Draft-worthy this year.

His unique path led him to Notre Dame but he has felt like a natural fit amongst the Irish faithful all along.

"Just to see the fans and the support we get continuously and the walk and just the football culture here, I hope it never changes,” Hartman explained. "If I'm blessed to have kids, I hope I can bring them back and they play a highlight. Probably won't be as cool as Joe Montana, but I met Joe Montana today. That was pretty sweet. Probably add that, USC victory, Joe Montana and I think that that is going to be something I can kind of cherish for the rest of my life and the memories with those guys in the locker room, to bring it back to the team, just Cam Hart, you see that guy and his disappointment and his frustrations of last week, and to see him bounce back and just see the entire team, just it was a full, complete game. I'm so grateful for that, grateful for this fan base and everything. I freaking love the Irish.”