Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman rallied his players in an emotional team meeting after the Sugar Bowl was postponed by the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans.
At least 14 people were killed and 35 others injured after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented pickup truck in the early hours of Wednesday morning into a crowd of people in Bourbon Street the heart of the city’s tourist quarter. Jabbar, who authorities believe was inspired by Islamic State, opened fire on police officers and was killed in the firefight.
The attack forced the postponement of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal between Notre Dame and Georgia at the Superdome by almost 24 hours, with the game now due to kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. Freeman, who has led his team to a 12-1 season, told his players that in tragic moments, the true character of America and its people shines through.
“I think first off, I’d like to say we’re hurting for all those affected by this tragedy,’ Freeman told ESPN. “The city of New Orleans has welcomed us with open arms and we join them in prayers for all those victims and families that are affected by this tragedy.
“I had gotten a phone call that some sort of tragedy had happened. We were preparing in the morning to play a game in the evening and when we got the news, we learned of the severity of the tragedy and we had to get back together.
“A lot of people started to hear that the game would be postponed. What I told the team was that in the toughest moments, the culture of any program, a nation, is revealed. I have a lot of faith this country will rally around New Orleans and support all the victims of families.”
Despite the emotional toll of the nearby atrocity and the disruption to his team’s preparation, Freeman insists they will be prepared for the challenge of facing the No. 2 Bulldogs.
“The first part of that team meeting was to mourn and to pray for our country,” he continued. “But as we ended that meeting, we had to redirect our focus towards preparing for this game, and we had to utilize this time that we have to continue to prepare.
“I told them we are not going to wait. We have to have a plan to utilize the time to physically and mentally prepare. We will mourn and pray for our country and we have support systems around here for anybody that needs someone to talk to or have support. But we also have to be prepared for this great opportunity in the Sugar Bowl.”
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