It says a lot about a program when leaders emerge at the next level, and for Notre Dame football, it looks like they have plenty of that.
The official Irish social media account posted on Friday which players had been named captains for their respective NFL teams and the list was long. A total of seven players were given that designation for this season and some aren’t surprising at all.
Starting off with superstar Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, who now has six of his eight years having been named captain. The eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro is putting himself in a position to be a Hall of Famer with a few more elite seasons under his belt.
Snapper JJ Jansen, the longest tenured for Notre Dame player
was chosen as a captain for the fourth time. A 40-years old, he’s defying Father Time, having the Carolina record of most games played for the Panthers.
Three players were named as a captain for the second time, Jacksonville center Robert Hainsey, Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt, and Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams. Each of them played significant roles for the Irish, and have taken a leadership position with their respective NFL teams.
Finally, superstar safety Kyle Hamilton was named as a first-time captain for the Baltimore Ravens. He recently signed the highest-paid contract at this position in NFL history and is coming off his second first-team All-Pro season.
It seems pretty obvious that when you draft or sign a former Irish player, you are not just getting a great athlete, but a leader in the locker room as well.
Leadership in the league 🫡#GoIrish☘️ | #IrishInTheNFL pic.twitter.com/Bm17PwJypO
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 11, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Which former Notre Dame stars a captains for their NFL teams
