As it prepares for an early-season gauntlet that includes Texas A&M in Week 2 and Arkansas in Week 4, the Notre Dame football program hardly depends on luck.
You’d be hard pressed to find a more intentional college football coach than Marcus Freeman. The 39-year-old is unusually proactive when it comes to opening the doors of his program to sports psychologists and making mental health check-ups and practices an integral part of his players’ daily schedule.
For instance, in team meetings, the Fighting Irish practice targeted breathing techniques involving four-second inhales and holds. “You focus on your breath the whole time, and it helps your mental (side), helps you focus in,” wide receiver Jordan Faison said last year.