How one play changed safety Kyle Hamilton’s mindset at Notre Dame
The 2019 game against New Mexico was really never in question for Notre Dame. But freshman safety Kyle Hamilton’s confidence may have been, at least until he took the field for his first play at Notre Dame Stadium.
According to On3 Consensus, Hamilton was a high four-star recruit ranked No. 6 at safety, No. 9 in Georgia and No. 62 nationally in the 2019 class. 247Sports listed him as a five-star prospect and the No. 1 safety in the country. But those accolades didn’t help quell his anxiety about playing at the next level when he first arrived at Notre Dame.
“There was a target on my back,” Hamilton said on the latest episode of the Varsity House Podcast, which is hosted by former Irish defensive back Shaun Crawford. “People knew my name. Coming into camp, I was nervous because I knew I was good in high school, but was I really (going to be) good at this level where everybody is good?”
During the first practice, Hamilton had three interceptions. A performance like that certainly doesn’t hurt one’s confidence, but after all, it still is not the real deal. Hamilton needed to do something even bigger to prove to himself he could be a star at the college level.
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The date was Sept. 14, 2019, and the Irish were hosting New Mexico for their home opener in front of more than 77,000 people. The team had beaten Louisville 35-21 the week before in a Labor Day showdown. Expectations were high, as the Irish were coming off their first College Football Playoff appearance and returning starting quarterback Ian Book.
The seventh-ranked Notre Dame team got the ball first and ran seven plays for a total of 11 yards. Former Irish punter Jay Bramblett came on and pinned the Lobos at their own 2-yard line. New Mexico managed to move the ball away from the goal line, putting together four plays for 28 yards on a drive that was aided by a defensive pass interference call on former Irish corner Troy Pride Jr.
With 3rd-and-8 coming up, then-freshman Hamilton took the field for the first time in South Bend. New Mexico quarterback Sheriron Jones dropped back to pass, and Hamilton jumped the route. He picked off the ball and ran it back 34 yards. Hamilton dove across the goal line for six points and thus began the start of one of the best secondary careers in Notre Dame history.
“Getting a pick-six on my first play is still surreal to this day,” Hamilton said. “I don’t think I appreciate that moment enough. It’s crazy that happened. From then on I was like ‘You’re good enough to play at this level and make a difference.’
“My whole outlook on football just shifted from that point.”
Notre Dame won the game 66-14, and the freshman safety had two additional tackles on the day.
Hamilton made more than his fair share of game-changing plays over the course of the next three seasons, as he left Notre Dame with 138 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 16 passes defended and eight interceptions over 31 games. He was a 2021 Consensus All-American despite missing nearly half of the season with a knee injury. Hamilton was selected with the No. 14 overall overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
Now, in a way, he’s back where he started: as a rookie in a new place away from his previous home. He will once again have to convince himself he is capable of making a difference at the next level, perhaps with a big play.
I’d bet it doesn’t take much longer than a home game or two.
