The two goals Marcus Freeman wanted to accomplish in holding Notre Dame ‘Legacy Weekend’

One of Marcus Freeman’s many reality checks in his first few weeks as Notre Dame head coach came during a rare moment of down time. It also helped fuel one of his major offseason initiatives.

Freeman had just returned to his hotel room one night on a recruiting trip and turned on the TV to find something to help him decompress. He stumbled upon an ESPN program that promptly offered him some perspective.

“It was really late at night, I wanted to watch 20 minutes of TV,” Freeman said Wednesday during an interview with Vice President of University Relations Lou Nanni. “I turned on the TV and it was one of the ESPN documentaries about the history of college football and Notre Dame. You see the names from Knute Rockne to Dan Devine to Ara Parseghian to Lou Holtz to Brian Kelly.

“I needed to see that to pinch myself and say, ‘Holy cow, you’re the head coach at Notre Dame.”

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Freeman has found plenty of reminders that this is indeed real since he was named Kelly’s replacement Dec. 3. He understands he’s in a position of gigantic responsibility and one of the most desirable jobs in his profession. No matter how his tenure unfolds, he wants to make sure he keeps that perspective.

That night, as he soaked in his own reality once again, he wondered if he was effectively communicating to his players the same mindset of being grateful for an opportunity. And if not, how could he do so?

One major purpose of last month’s “Legacy Weekend” was to drive that exact point across to Notre Dame’s current roster. The idea might not have hatched in that hotel room. It wasn’t born only because Freeman wanted to help players put their opportunity in perspective. But if inviting nearly 300 ex-Irish players back on campus for the days surrounding the Blue-Gold Game April 23 could also accomplish that, even more reason to make it happen.

“What better way than to bring the guys that have done it?” Freeman said. “We’re not in this position without the guys from the past, their blood, sweat and tears.”

“I got with Hunter Bivin, our director of player development, and said, ‘Let’s invite every former player back for the spring game week and call it a Legacy Weekend.’ The real thought process was two things. I want our players to understand the privilege you have to play at this university. I wanted those guys to feel like this is their home. You helped build this place. You’re always welcome back here.”

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Former Notre Dame players from at least six decades were on campus for Legacy Weekend. They met with the current team, greeted recruits who were visiting and gathered for a networking dinner two days before the game.

“You see guys who have done everything you aspire to do who were willing to come back and love this place and be with their brothers, to me that’s power,” Freeman said after the spring game.

For recruits, meeting former Irish players was a firsthand advertisement of Notre Dame’s “four-for-40” pitch. They interacted with current NFL players. They met former pros who have shifted gears after hanging up the cleats.

For the current team, the networking dinner offered an opportunity to help plan for life after football by making connections and forming ideas for non-football ventures. It was a look at their potential future lives. And apparently a powerful one.

“It’s huge,” quarterback Steve Angeli said. “It’s a big reason why I came to Notre Dame. The alumni network, you can’t put a price on it. The people who played here, won national championships, were first-round draft picks, won Super Bowls and are now very successful in life and business — to have them back here and spend time with them is amazing.

“[Former Irish running back] Greg Bell was one of the guys I sat down with in the networking dinner. Just to hear his story about what Notre Dame was like then, what he was able to do here, in the league and the challenges he went through, how much success he has had in his life and the life lessons he taught me.”

This is what Freeman was looking for in Legacy Weekend — now and in the future.

“It was a special weekend for Notre Dame football,” Freeman said, “And I hope it continues to grow as we move forward.”