By John Brice
Special Contributor
Five years ago, there was a lone goal: get on the offense’s nerves.
Today, they’re the central nervous system of Notre Dame’s defense – if not the entire Fighting Irish football program.
Linebackers JD Bertrand, Jack Kiser and Marist Liufau are, collectively, entering the 13th, 14th and 15th seasons of their collegiate careers; they own more than 100 games of experience as Notre Dame churns through its steamy opening week of preseason camp in advance of next month’s season-opener against Navy in Dublin, Ireland.
They vividly recall toiling on scout teams upon their arrivals to Notre Dame in 2019
“I remember that every day our goal was to mess up the offense and just be irritating,” said Liufau, the versatile graduate student entering this fall on the heels of a 51-tackle campaign.
“Which, we were. The offense told us that every day.
“Just taking it as an opportunity to get better was really our mindset then. I know a lot of people can see being on the scout team as a negative because you’re not with the 1s and 2s, but we used that opportunity to get better. We made it fun.”
In hindsight, Kiser knows those formative camp and fall sessions put him in his current position.
“At the time, we were just trying to make plays and make names for ourselves,” said Kiser, whose arrival to Notre Dame came on the heels of a stalwart Indiana prep career featuring more than 11,000 yards of offense and 198 touchdowns.
”It’s a pretty unique situation, though, if you look at it: the offensive line that we were going against, all five of them are in the NFL. We got so much better just playing with our hands, physically. We had no idea how much that was creating for us developmentally. I think without those days playing ball together, not even playing a real defense, really made us so much closer and at the same time made us a lot better football players.”
The work then is the foundation of now, which sees the trio anchoring a veteran Irish defense and serving in capacities far beyond Xs and Os.
“To me, I think right away of the example it sets for the younger kids, both in our room and on the defensive side,” said Notre Dame graduate assistant Max Bullough, who works with the linebackers.
“Every time I talk about our room, I start with, ‘Listen, we have three guys that have played a lot of ball for us. They know what they’re doing, and they do things the right way.’ That allows us to expect more out of them, in terms of communication and things we can put on their plate. It gives us flexibility on the field.
“I know when we coach the linebackers, we like to think of it as the age-old days, the linebacker is the quarterback of the defense. That energy, attitude and communication stems from our spot. It starts in our room.”
The players are, perhaps, a step beyond finishing each other’s sentences; they’re calling out one another’s checks to the rest of the Irish defense.
“Just that time spent together, we really understand each other,” said Bertrand, 10 tackles shy of 200 in his career. “Most times, it’s like we’re trying to beat each other to the checks. Like Jack sees this coming, but I’m checking it while he’s looking. Having that right-perspective view, and he has the other perspective view, I think that’s a really cool thing.”
What isn’t solved pre-snap usually is an instantaneous learning point, be it before the ensuing play or as soon as the players reach the sidelines.
“We’ll be on the field and something will happen that maybe we didn’t play right. It takes us two seconds on the sideline,” said Kiser, whose innate ability to track the ball sees him with three career interceptions and just as many forced fumbles. “Like, ‘Oh, you saw this.’ ‘Yep.’ ‘Yep.’ ‘We’re good.’
“It’s great. It allows you to play so much faster and fix things with urgency to play better the next snap. It is special to have three fifth-year guys who each have their own journey, but at the same time we all three started on the scout team together, grew together, and made it up the depth chart together. It’s been unique.”
It’s also affording Al Golden, noted defensive mind and a former Power 5 head coach, to entrust his linebackers with more responsibilities – mentally and physically.
“One of the cool things is that Coach Golden can put a lot of load on us, and we can be the calming voice for the rest of the defense,” Bertrand said. “When a check comes or even before the check comes, we can start anticipating it so that when that check comes, the guys with their hands in the ground that can’t see everything, they feel calm, they know what they have, and they have their feet in the ground ready to play.
“Same with the secondary. We can make those checks that they’re making, but we can help make sure that we’re looking at them and have that communication piece.”
The charge now for the group is to leave an on-field legacy in 2023 while preparing their understudies for the future.
“I’ve sat down with all of the linebackers, but specifically I’ve had a couple meetings with (Nolan) Ziegler and (Jaylen) Sneed. I taught them what I did and quizzed them as we went,” Bertrand said. “Then I can say, ‘OK, now it’s your turn to sit down with the freshmen guys.’
“If they can teach it, it means they know it. We’re just preparing those guys so that they’re ready when we leave.”