"How to overcome adversity": Marcus Freeman reveals most valuable lesson he learned in his career

Coach Marcus Freeman is a true champ. Every time life went hard on him, he came back even stronger. His recent success has been a testament to his grit and patience following his passion for football.

Despite an abrupt ending to his playing career, Freeman bounced back with his coaching career.

Reflecting on the lowest point of his career, the Notre Dame coach said that adversities taught him the greatest life lessons that he cherishes to date. It was something that helped him rebuild Notre Dame in the last four years.

While speaking to Adam Breneman on his podcast this week, Freeman opened up on the most challenging phase of his life.

That was when he had to abruptly give up his playing career due to an enlarged heart valve. After just one year in the NFL, Freeman sought premature retirement in 2010 as he got to know that no team would draft him owing to his medical condition. (Timestamp - 9:00)

“As I look back on my life, once you get into college, you start learning how to manage expectations. Walking into Ohio State at that time and being a starter versus having to sit behind some great players as a freshman was a challenge.

"Then, I got hurt as a sophomore and had to medically redshirt that year. Suddenly, you go from being a starter to fighting for that position going into your senior year. Those are the kinds of things college teaches you—adversity teaches you,” Freeman explained about his college career at OSU.

He continued:

“Then, you get drafted into the NFL. Nobody gets drafted as early as they think they should unless they're the first pick. I often say the second pick thinks they could have been the first pick. So everybody has to wait. I was a fifth-round draft pick, and when you receive that call, as painful as it is to wait for it, it's a dream come true.

"But then, you have to go to work. I was cut from the Chicago Bears after training camp, and that's another blow. But you figure life out … That moment came when the Colts found an enlarged heart valve and said, 'Hey, we're not going to sign you. Nobody else is.'"

He concluded:

"As hard as that was to hear, you figure it out. You figure out what's next. Those were valuable lessons I learned in college—how to be self-sufficient and how to overcome adversity."

Marcus Freeman is on the run to build a dynasty at Notre Dame

Starting his career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, the 39-year-old has come a long way. He climbed up the ladders despite suffering multiple failures. But Notre Dame was his true destination. He took the top job of coach in 2021 and has been on the run to revamp the program.

Last season was a prime example of this notion. He wrapped up the season with a 14-2 record and punched a national championship ticket. Although he lost the game to Ohio State, the future looks bright for the game.

Next up in 2025, it's nothing less than a national championship for Freeman, and he has already started with the work to strengthen the roster.