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- A new Peacock docuseries shows the life of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.
- In “Here Come the Irish,” college football fans get a behind-the-scenes look at their team.
- Cornerback Benjamin Morrison shared what one of his days looks like.
As college football season kicks off, fans are getting an unprecedented look at the lives of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team in a new docuseries “Here Come the Irish,” streaming on Peacock. Aside from living out their dreams on the field, players are expected to balance their academic commitments and personal lives.
The show features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Head Coach Marcus Freeman and former Head Coach Lou Holtz, Fighting Irish coaching staff, and players including team captain and cornerback Benjamin Morrison and quarterback Riley Leonard.
Being part of this new docuseries is “truly special,” Morrison said. He’s excited for fans to see the highs and lows they go through as a team and what makes them more than just football players.
“I think that people think it’s just a quick little practice, and then you go play a game because you’re athletic and talented enough,” he said. “That’s not the case. It’s a lot of work and mental stress.”
Morrison sat down with Business Insider to talk about a typical day at college football fall camp, what inspires him to be a leader, and how his faith helps him persevere on and off the field.
Fall camp means long hours dedicated to football
Before the season starts, players attend fall camp, which begins in August and lasts three to four weeks. It’s an opportunity to get to know their coaches and teammates while preparing for the season and completing intense training regimens.
“Going into fall camp, going into my third season, I felt amazing,” Morrison said. “It’s just fun understanding what’s at hand and what type of team we have.”
A typical day starts with Morrison waking up at 7 a.m. and heading to their training facility called the Guglielmino Athletics Complex, or what players have affectionately nicknamed the “Gug” (pronounced goog). This 96,000-square-foot facility houses the meeting rooms, coaches’ offices, locker rooms, and weight room equipment areas.
“So, I get to the Gug at around 7:20 a.m., and then get taped, eat breakfast, do all that stuff,” he said. “Then we’re at a team meeting by 8 a.m. to go over the flow for practice, and we’re on the field at 9 a.m.”
The Fighting Irish always start practice with ball disruptions. This means practicing how to take the ball away from the opposing offense.
“We learn to attack the ball in different ways, how to figure out the ball carrier, and how we can get the ball out,” he said. “Then we go into pre-practice and go over some small formations, and we’ll warm up and attack in practice.”
There’s time for a mid-day nap to recharge
After practice, the players have a 45 to 60-minute break. Morrison prefers to spend his downtime taking a “power nap.”
“This will get me through the day to restart, reload, and then get back going,” he said. He also enjoys listening to music because it helps him unwind and reminds him of his family, especially his mom and siblings.
“Music gets me through life,” he said. “I love listening to my music and relaxing.
He’s a big fan of the Hamilton soundtrack and anything by Adele. “I feel like I’m grounded,” he said. “You can just pick a tune that really resonates with what you’re going through in life and just kind of take it in.”
The day continues with more training until 8 p.m.
During team meetings, they recap what happened earlier in the day. “We’ll discuss things we can improve on, and how we want to approach the season,” he said.
As a player and team captain, Morrison never wants to become complacent. He defines complacency as the moment you stop thinking you can improve.
“No matter win or loss, I want to improve and become the best version of myself and the best teammate I can be,” he said. “The moment I become complacent, I hope my cleats are off because I don’t want to ever be complacent in this sport.”
After strategizing with the team, “we’ll go lift, and we’ll eat and have a walkthrough, and then a little team meeting, and that’s the day,” he said. “So, I’ll end around 8:00 p.m. and get back to the Gug.”
The time spent in the weight room is integral to training. “Lifting is kind of our foundation, and we pride ourselves on lifts,” he said.
“We have a long season, so we’ve got to make sure our bodies are up to par with the high demand that football requires,” he said. “I think lifting is what makes us more durable, able to go longer, run longer, and do things at a high level.”
Morrison attributes his leadership style to his family and faith
As the youngest of five siblings, who all play competitive sports, Morrison has always felt like he needed to prove himself to his siblings and older friends. “I just pride myself on working hard and not talking a lot,” he said.
Getting a word in was tough with four siblings, so he learned to “fall in line,” and it’s similar with football. “I understand that I have a leadership role, but I like to lead by example like how I was raised,” he said.
Being team captain is a “huge responsibility,” he said. “I think Coach Freeman talked about how you have to be unorthodox and challenge things, and I pride myself on standing true to who I am and who I know the team could be.”
For Morrison, faith means everything. “Last year, I got away from it a little bit,” he said. “And I realized I’m nothing without God. I can have all the success and be empty inside.”
Going forward, his plan is to remain humble and recognize that he’s not perfect. “If I just honor God in everything I do, the rest will be taken care of,” he said. “I can’t get caught up in the accolades or the individual success.”
Nandini Maharaj is a freelance writer covering health, wellness, identity, and relationships. She holds a master’s degree in counseling and a doctorate in public health.
