WATCH: Jerome Bettis crashes press conference, asks Eddie George a question
During a joint press conference between Notre Dame and Tennessee State leaders after the announcement the two schools will meet in 2023, a surprise guest grabbed the microphone. Sneaking into the back of the room, former Notre Dame star and NFL legend Jerome Bettis asked his old friends Eddie George a question about the matchup.
While most of the press conference focused on the historic meeting, which marks the first time Notre Dame will face an HBCU in football, this question had a more personal touch. Jerome Bettis is already holding Eddie George accountable for the result of a game more than a year away.
“We believe – every game – that we’re going to win,” said Bettis. “I know you personally, and your commitment to competition. Do you believe that you can win this football game?”
“Without a doubt,” George responded, drawing laughs from Bettis and others in the room. “Without a shadow of a doubt.”
“I’ve got to get you on the hook for that,” responded Bettis.
Notre Dame schedules Tennessee State
The 2022 season is still a few months away, but Notre Dame is getting to work on its 2023 slate. The Fighting Irish announced an addition on Tuesday.
Notre Dame will take on Tennessee State in 2023, the Fighting Irish said. It will be the first-ever matchup between the two teams.
The matchup has even more significance, though. It’ll mark Notre Dame’s first-ever matchup with an HBCU, in addition to the first FCS opponent in program history. The schools didn’t announce a date for the game, but it’ll take place at Notre Dame Stadium.
Tennessee State, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, went 5-6 overall and 3-3 in league play in 2021. Notre Dame, meanwhile, went 11-2 this past season to earn an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
One important connection between the two teams is their head coaches. Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman and Tigers headman Eddie George are both Ohio State alumni. Freeman played for the Buckeyes from 2002-06 and George played from 1992-96 before an eight-year NFL career that included four Pro Bowl appearances and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
George is coming off his first year as Tennessee State’s head coach while Freeman is gearing up for his first year at the helm for Notre Dame after Brian Kelly departed for LSU. Freeman served as the Fighting Irish’s defensive coordinator last year after previously serving in the same role at Cincinnati.