Coach Marcus Freeman took some time this week to chat with former Notre Dame running back Audric Estime following his standout performance with the New Orleans Saints over the weekend.
Estime ran for 72-yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in the Saints’ 23-22 overtime win over the Cleveland Browns. It was a personal victory as well for Estime, who was cut by the Browns two days before he joined New Orleans.
It is also Estime’s second stint with the Saints, with the first one during the 2025 season.
On the latest edition of “Irish in the NFL,” Freeman asked Estime how crazy the journey in the league has been for him.
“It’s the NFL, you know,” Estime said. “I had my best training camp since I've been (with New Orleans) on the initial roster. Then,
I got hurt and they put me on (injured reserve). It was just roster management from there. I got off IR, got healthy and went to Minnesota for a week and then I was in Cleveland for three weeks. Two days later, I’m back in New Orleans.”
Estime told Freeman that facing Cleveland after the team let him go “kind of felt like a Disney movie.”
“You want to get back at the team who released you,” Estime said. “I’m not going to lie...I was hungry. It was a dogfight, and we went into overtime and won. It felt great.”
Freeman then asked Estime, “how have you handled the struggles that life has presented you with being cut, injured?”
“I’m a very confident person,” Estime replied. “Some people when they go through things like that they lose confidence, but me, my confidence never wavered. I had the confidence and belief in myself and the preparation that I’m going to be ready for my next opportunity. I knew eventually it would come. I knew if I’d get that opportunity, I’d go out and ball.”
Estime compiled 2,321 rushing yards and 29 TDs on 373 carries for Notre Dame in 2021-23. His 18 rushing scores in 2023 set a Fighting Irish single-season record.
“The brotherhood is real. I miss it,” Estime said.
Freeman noted that the Fighting Irish brother is “forever, man.”
“I’m proud of you,” Freeman said to Estime. “You’re doing great things.”
Coach Freeman caught up with Audric Estimé to talk about his season so far and his passions outside of football ☘️#GoIrish☘️ | #IrishInTheNFL | @AudricEstime pic.twitter.com/PLrIfAoP1l
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 11, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Freeman chats with Audric Estime following performance with Saints
