Former Notre Dame star defends Ian Book following first NFL start
Former Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah took to Twitter on Monday to defend his former teammate Ian Book. The former Fighting Irish quarterback started for the Saints in their Monday Night Football game against Miami.
The rookie did not have a great performance, going 12-of-20 for 135 yards and an interception. New Orleans fell to the Dolphins by score of 20-3.
In his tweet, Owusu-Koramoah suggested it wasn’t all Book’s fault.
“I mean dang, block for my mans,” he wrote.
Book certainly could have benefitted from some extra blocking. He was sacked a total eight times as the Saints allowed the Dolphins 14 total quarterback hits. Five different Miami players came away with at least one sack, with Emmanuel Ogbah leading the team with two.
One of Book’s two interceptions was returned for a touchdown early in the first quarter.
A fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft, Book was chosen to start after Taysom Hill landed on the COVID-19 reserves list.
Ian Book spent three years as the starting quarterback for the Notre Dame, leading them to College Football Playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020. He finished his college career with 8,948 yards passing, 1,517 yards rushing and 89 total touchdowns.
Owusu-Koramoah was taken in the second round of the 2021 draft and plays for the Cleveland Browns.
The loss dropped the Saints to 7-8 on the season, while Miami improved to 8-7. The Dolphins are currently one of the hottest teams in the NFL, winners of seven straight. If they win their final two games, they are assured a playoff spot despite a 1-7 start to the year.
The Saints need a strong performance to close the season if they hope to make the playoffs. Their next chance will come Sunday against the Carolina Panthers before closing the regular season against Atlanta.
Kickoff between the Saints and Panthers is set for 4:25 p.m. ET in New Orleans.