Notre Dame vs Navy: Sam Hartman's rib necklace charm sparks stunning 42-3 victory

Sam Hartman wore a necklace with part of his surgically removed rib while making his debut for Notre Dame against Navy on Saturday. The Wake Forest transfer would go on to lead the Fighting Irish to a 42-3 win in their 2023 college football season opener.

The necklace turned out to be a lucky charm for Hartman against the Midshipmen, as he put up an impressive outing. The quarterback threw for 251 yards and four touchdowns in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

Considering his achievement in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the Demon Deacons, all eyes will be on Hartman this season for Notre Dame. Many will look to him to propel the Fighting Irish back to national prominence in college football after a period of underperformance.

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What's the story of the Sam Hartman rib necklace?

The tale of the rib necklace harks back to the 2022 offseason when Hartman was at Wake Forest. He received an unfortunate diagnosis of Paget-Schroetter syndrome. As part of his treatment, a surgical procedure was necessary to eliminate the blood clots.

Extracting the rib adjacent to his collarbone constituted a crucial component of the surgical procedure. This step was taken to proactively avert any potential recurrence of blood clotting and to ensure that the quarterback could continue his football career without hindrance.

Following the success of the surgery in 2022, Sam Hartman decided to do something unconventional. Instead of discarding the surgically removed rib as is commonly done, the quarterback made the decision to retain it and opted to transform it into a necklace.

The rib fragment was preserved in a freezer for a while for the purpose of separating the flesh from the bone. That was revealed by the quarterback's mother, Lisa, this offseason, explaining that the rib no longer looks like it used to after it was removed.

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Will Sam Hartman wear the necklace throughout this season?

The plan Sam Hartman has for the necklace following his debut for the Fighting Irish is unknown. There're no indications that he would continue to wear it throughout the season as he looks to get Notre Dame back to its feet in college football.

However, many believe it could become a staple of the quarterback. They reckon Hartman could continue to put on the necklace not just throughout the season but also throughout his college and professional career, becoming a synonymous part of him.