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We are just two games away from knowing which teams are going to play in the 2021 Super Bowl. How many former Notre Dame Fighting Irish players are still out there playing?
Buccaneers
C.J. Prosise
Prosise is currently listed on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad. (Prosise signed to the Buccaneers practice squad on January 6, 2021.) Previously, Prosise played for the Houston Texans during the 2020 regular season, and for Seattle in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019. In 2020, Prosise played in five games for Houston, with his best performance being against the Chicago Bears, on December 12th, where he had one rushing attempt for two-yards, one pass reception for 10-yards, and four kickoff returns for 64-yards. Prosise’s career highs at Notre Dame included a 50-yard rush (longest rush) vs. LSU (Dec 30, 2014), 109 all-purpose yards during that same game vs. LSU, 85 receiving yards vs. Arizona State (Nov 8, 2014), and a 78-yard reception (longest reception) vs. Navy (Nov 1, 2014)
Packers
Equanimeous St. Brown
St. Brown has had seven receptions for the Green Bay Packers, in the 2020 NFL season, for a total of 117-yards (16.7 average yards per catch), and one touchdown. He had one catch in Week 8 vs. the Vikings (12-yards), he had one catch in Week 11 vs. the Colts (23-yards), he had two catches in Week 12 vs. the Bears (24-yards and 15-yards), he had one catch in Week 13 vs. the Eagles (7-yards), he had one catch in Week 14 vs. the Lions (15-yards), and he had one catch (which was a touchdown) in Week 16 vs. the Titans (21 yards).
Prior to the 2020 season he spent the 2019 season on the injured reserve list (also with Green Bay) due to an ankle injury sustained the in preseason. In 2019 he played in 12 games for Green Bay, with seven starts, and posted 21 receptions for 328-yards (15.6 average yards per catch). He was ranked No. 5 in the league among rookies in yards per catch. In looking at his 21 receptions in 2018, 13 of them picked up first downs (58.3 percent), and 12 of them were for 15-plus yards (52.2 percent). At Notre Dame he played in 32 games, with 25 of them being starts, in three seasons. He caught 92 passes for 1,484-yards at Notre Dame, for an average of 16.1 yards per catch. 13 of those 92 catches were touchdowns.
KeiVarae Russell
Russell is currently listed on the Green Bay Packers practice squad. On January 15, 2021, Russell was promoted to the active roster for the divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. He doesn’t have any current stats with the Packers, but he was active in Week 10 vs. the Jaguars, and in Week 10 vs. the Rams. In his previous three years with the Bengals he played in 20 games over three years: 2016, 2017, 2018, and had 22 solo/assisted tackles. Russell’s career highs at Notre Dame included nine tackles vs. Oklahoma (Oct 27, 2012), five sacks vs. Purdue (Sept 8, 2012), and his longest interception return was 31-yards vs. Michigan (Sept 22, 2012).
Dexter Williams
Williams is currently listed on the Green Bay Packers practice squad. He was active in three games in 2020 (Week 7 vs. the Texans, Week 9 vs. the 49ers, and Week 16 vs. the Titans), and in the game vs. San Francisco he had two rushing attempts for eight yards. During his senior season at Notre Dame (2018), Williams lead the team with 941-yards rushing, and 12 rushing touchdowns. He surpassed 100 rushing yards in four games during the 2018 season, including 202-yards vs. Florida State. In the win over the Hokies (2018), he had 178-yards and three touchdowns, and in the win over No. 7 Stanford (2018) he had 161 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Bills
No Notre Dame players currently playing with the Bills.
Chiefs
No Notre Dame players currently playing with the Chiefs.
It’s taken me years to come back to the NFL after the Rams left St. Louis (we split season tickets with my parents for 20 years). There were a lot of angry years after they left and somebody got some really nice St. Louis Rams merchandise at the local Goodwill Store. But I digress. Now I cheer for the Chiefs, and sadly there are no Notre Dame players on the squad. Hopefully that changes during the 2021 NFL Draft.
So ... do you watch the NFL? Who do you cheer for? Is it less interesting if there are no Notre Dame players on your NFL team? Or do you not care?
Cheers! GO (CHIEFS) IRISH!