Polished brown leather dress shoes softly clacked against white speckled tiles as Marcus Freeman sauntered to the front of the lunchroom at St. Adalbert Catholic School, handing out high-fives to students and teachers along the way. Upon reaching the chestnut podium wrapped in a Fighting Irish banner, Freeman beamed his signature smile and introduces himself to an eager audience. Trading in his blue and gold Notre Dame tracksuit for a salmon button up with gray slacks, Freeman extended a booming good afternoon greeting and asked the children what they did at recess. For a few hours, he could shed the weight that comes with leading one of college football’s most storied programs and focus on an even more important task — giving back to the South Bend community. Though the students’ frequent smiles and giggles made clear why he has the reputation of being one of the best communicators and motivators in the sport, he didn’t connect with them as Coach Freeman, but rather as Marcus, a friend looking to make his beloved home a better place. As he began to wrap up his talk, Freeman dipped his chin, eyes sparkling as a smirk spread across his lips.
“Raise your hand if you would like to go to a Notre Dame football game,” he said, with over 200 hands immediately thrusting into the air, fingers wiggling in excitement.
“Well, I have a little surprise for you guys,” Freeman continued. “We’re going to get every student in this building and your families tickets to the Blue-Gold Game.”
The students, clad in their red school t-shirts, exploded into a buzzing, crimson wave of excitement, whooping, clapping and drumming their hands on the lunch tables to express their joy and gratitude. To remove any barriers that would prevent students from attending the game, Notre Dame’s corporate partner, Allstate, provided transportation, lunch, a campus tour and a reserved section inside Notre Dame Stadium to all St. Adalbert families.
When interviewed at the game just a few days later, one student said, “This is such a blessing and gift to our school. This is one of the best days ever, that I’ve ever had.”
A frequent guest at the school, Freeman’s impact at St. Adalbert extends beyond this one visit. After becoming head coach, Freeman said he felt like Notre Dame football could do more to embrace the local youth, particularly those who never experienced the exhilarating atmosphere of game day at Notre Dame Stadium. Recalling his childhood in Huber Heights, Ohio, Freeman reflected on being unable to attend a college football game until he was invited as a high school recruit. This realization fueled his mission to give South Bend children the opportunity he never had — the chance to experience the magic of Notre Dame football firsthand.
“I remember going around and asking all the classrooms, ‘Who has ever been to a Notre Dame football game?’” Freeman shared. “There were several classrooms, and just a few kids raised their hands.”
When Freeman invited the St. Adalbert students to the Blue-Gold game, he gave them more than just tickets to a glorified spring practice. He gave them an experience that many could never afford and a reminder that they belong at Notre Dame just as much as anyone else. These tickets served as just one part of Freeman’s broader vision to ensure that Notre Dame, a globally renowned institution, remains deeply connected and committed to the local community.
“So many of our kids need help with financial resources. Tickets just aren’t something they could afford,” said St. Adalbert Principal Jenni Crain. “Our students come from a little bit of a different demographic. To see people who look like them in impactful positions doing things for them, that’s the key. Did you see our kids crying? Crying for this opportunity, it was so beautiful.”
A hallmark of his leadership, Freeman’s deep commitment to service inspired him to revive the “Cleats for a Cause” initiative with help from team captains like graduate linebacker Jack Kiser. Jerry Barca, a South Bend Saint Joseph High School graduate and current Notre Dame freshman studying neuroscience, designed the custom Under Armour SlipSpeed shoes worn during the Victory March before the Sept. 21 win over Miami (Ohio). He hand painted five different designs, each honoring one of the five local organizations benefiting from this program: the South Bend Center for the Homeless, the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Indiana, the CASIE Center for Child Abuse Prevention, Cultivate Food Rescue and the Logan Center, which serves individuals with disabilities.
“Being able to have worked with a lot of those charities in my high school career, it just makes this more special,” Barca said. “It’s great to see how Notre Dame is a force for good and can lift up everybody in the community with it.”
Barca painted the finishing touches just two nights before kickoff and saved Freeman’s pair for last. He added “The Golden Standard,” one of Freeman’s coaching mottos, to the shoe and stitched the small remnant of a football onto the back panel.
“I thought he did a wonderful job,” Freeman said. “The hours he put into the designs for all of the players, I know that took a long time to do. We’re grateful for his hard work. I thought the product was excellent.”
After the Victory March, every member of the team signed their custom sneakers and auctioned them off with all proceeds split among the five charities.
“Each pair tells a story, personalized by the athlete, and it’s really cool to see how this has become something bigger than football,” Kiser said. “Each charity is tackling something vital, and we’re thrilled to give back in such a meaningful way.“
Freeman’s leadership has been instrumental in expanding “Cleats for a Cause,“ but Kiser knows the team must constantly reaffirm and improve its commitment to South Bend: “Coach Freeman says it all the time, ‘Find a better way. Challenge everything.’ That’s what we’re trying to do — not just in football, but in the way we give back to the community.”
Freeman and Kiser received recognition for their philanthropy when they were both named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for outstanding community service. Each season, Allstate names 22 college football players and one coach to the Good Works Team, celebrating the important balance between athletic achievement, academic success and a deep sense of responsibility to others. The first Notre Dame coach to receive this honor, it serves as an affirmation to Freeman’s vision and dedication to uplifting South Bend’s marginalized communities.
Since joining Notre Dame’s staff three years ago, Freeman has become a familiar face at several South Bend charities, schools and hospitals, always ready to lend a hand or a listening ear. His involvement with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Michiana, where he visits patients and their families each week, brings hope to those facing some of their toughest days. Whether delivering lunches or playing games with sick children, Freeman’s presence serves as a reminder that community service lies at the heart of Notre Dame’s mission and Catholic character.
As Notre Dame’s executive associate athletics director for culture and engagement JP Abercrumbie explained, “It’s about making sure that we take care of things right here in our own community. It’s an opportunity not only for us to be here and learn a little bit more about the experience on this side of town, but also for us to say, ‘Come in, come with us.’”
Freeman’s award for community service is not just a recognition of his efforts; it’s a reflection of the culture he has built at Notre Dame. Alongside players like Kiser, Freeman has shown that being part of the Fighting Irish means more than excelling on the field. It means being a leader off of it — whether that’s by visiting local hospitals before home games or inspiring the next generation at schools across South Bend.
For Freeman and his team, a legacy of service is being forged every day, one charitable act at a time. From the personalized cleats auctioned for meaningful causes to the countless hours dedicated to mentoring local youth, Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame is not just winning on the field — they are igniting a powerful movement that champions and uplifts an entire community. Together, the Irish are building toward a brighter future for South Bend, proving that true victory lies not only in triumphs on the gridiron but in the transformative impact on the lives they touch.
