The Columbus Dispatch

Notre Dame’s Freeman comments on his perceived jab at Ohio State

- Phil Harrison

Former Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman is getting acclimated to becoming the head coach at Notre Dame. Some of that includes carefully choosing his words, as he found out last week thanks to an open letter that seemed to take a jab at his alma mater.

In the letter in The Players Tribune website, Freeman wrote that if he had to do it over again he would have picked Notre Dame to play college football. “We all know there's something different about Notre Dame,” he wrote. “We all know it's something special. And I just thank God that I didn't make the wrong decision twice.”

The reaction from Ohio State fans was swift and decisive. Many were shocked how he could take a swipe at his former team, one that he has been very compliment­ary about in previous conversati­ons.

Freeman took notice and addressed the outcry.

“I wanted to address one more thing before we go open up for questions: my feelings on Ohio State,” Freeman said to open a press conference this week. “I want to make sure to be very clear that the relationsh­ips, the time that I spent in Columbus have impacted me and had relationsh­ips that I built that will be with me for the rest of my life. I'm very passionate about being the head coach here, but in no way do I want to diminish my time in Columbus and the impact that time has made on me. So, I want to make sure I'm clear about that.”

 ?? MICHAEL CATERINA/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE ?? Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman played at Ohio State from 2004-08.
MICHAEL CATERINA/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman played at Ohio State from 2004-08.

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