"Leader of men": 2x Super Bowl champ praises Marcus Freeman after Notre Dame eases past Georgia

Marcus Freeman led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to their biggest victory in more than 30 years. At least one former Super Bowl champion showed his appreciation for the job he’s done.

“.@Marcus_Freeman1 ….leader of men! Super impressed with the job he’s done at Notre Dame,” posted former New England Patriots center Damien Woody.

Woody, a current ESPN football analyst, played college football at Boston College, but was part of two Patriots championship teams. His praise for the Notre Dame head coach came after the Irish's solid 23-10 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs.

Besides preparing for the game, both Marcus Freeman and Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart also had to deal with off the field issues before the Sugar Bowl, after a man drove his truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more.

Following an early season loss to Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish have won 12 games in a row, including dominant victories over Indiana (27-17) and Georgia.

After arriving in South Bend in December 2021, Marcus Freeman has led the Irish to bowl games in his first three seasons, beating South Carolina and Oregon State in the first two.

Marcus Freeman looking to lead Notre Dame to first title in 37 years

While Notre Dame might be the country’s most popular college football team, they haven’t won a title since 1988, when Lou Holtz was walking the sidelines and Tony Rice was under center.

The Irish had some success in the early 1990’s, in particular in 1993, when they opened the season 10-0, including a win over the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles. A week later, Notre Dame lost to No. 12 Boston College in their final game of the season and dropped to No. 4. Florida State and Nebraska played for the national championship. That was also the last time they had won a major bowl game.

Notre Dame would make the Championship Game in 2012 after an undefeated regular season but were destroyed by Alabama 42-14 in Miami.

Unlike some competitive Notre Dame teams of the past, Marcus Freeman has built the Irish around a tough defense. They rank sixth in yards and second in points allowed per game. They were also capable of physically playing against a tough Georgia team. This is a recipe they hadn't been able to muster before.

Marcus Freeman and the Irish now have two more games to win to claim the national title. They will be facing off against the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 at 7:30 pm ET. A win there would have the Irish playing the winner of Ohio State vs Texas in the National Championship Game.