No Regrets For Onwualu Family

James Onwualu and his family had a pretty good idea of what he was getting himself into when he committed to Notre Dame back in 2012.

Onwualu came from Cretin-Derham Hall in Saint Paul, Minn., a school once considered a Notre Dame pipeline of sorts. His brother, John, is good friends with former Irish and Cretin-Derham star wide receiver Michael Floyd.

Notre Dame offered everything Onwualu and his family were looking for in a school – a strong football tradition backed up with an impressive academic reputation along with a family atmosphere.

But with Onwualu’s career at Notre Dame having now come to a close, his brother acknowledges you can’t truly understand what Notre Dame is all about until you’re a part of it.

“I think a lot of the things we heard going in were reinforced,” John says. “The culture and the community is really one of the strongest things about Notre Dame and not only did James feel that, but myself and my family felt that.

“You can go four years and feel as if you’re a part of a family. I don’t think you get that at every university.”

Irish Sports Daily John and James during recruiting visit in September of 2012.

The educational opportunities at Notre Dame proved to be everything the Onwualus expected.

“I’ve always been a big academic guy myself,” says John, who graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Academics are something our family has always taken pride in. When looking at schools, that was definitely a major reason why he chose Notre Dame along with a lot of other things.”

Onwualu has taken on an especially rigorous course load and is set to graduate with a degree in Finance from the Mendoza School of Business in a couple weeks.

“He had the opportunity to get an internship a couple summers ago here in New York City working in Finance,” his brother says.

“It’s really opened up his eyes to the world outside of football. Even though he’s going to definitely pursue continuing to play, the academics at Notre Dame have given him the opportunity to pursue whatever he wants in his career outside of football.”

In addition to the academic benefits, Onwualu has formed relationships that are sure to prove beneficial for years to come.

“His peer class will spread out all across the country and do a whole bunch of different things,” John says. “He’s going to have the opportunity to stay in touch with the Steve Elmers and Corey Robinsons of the world. That’s a unique experience in itself. I mention those two not because they were on the team, but because of how focused they were in academics.

“He’s met a bunch of other really smart kids as well who have made a really big difference to him. That ranges from all sorts of people. It’s a huge community and we feel so blessed to have been a part of it.”

John Onwualu recalls Saturdays during the fall during pregame family tailgates among other highlights.

“It’s just such a great culture,” he says.

For John, it stretches all of the way back to the East Coast.

Rick Kimball/ISD

“There are people I see in New York or even within my office who didn’t even go to Notre Dame who are just fans and recognize my face or my name and say, ‘Hey, are you related to James?’” John explains.

That culture is what probably his brother will look back on more than anything, according to John, the wins, the losses, the travel, the stadiums and going through it with his teammates.

Unfortunately, when Onwualu looks back on some of the most memorable games, he’ll be thinking about how his team came up just short. And it’ll be the same for John.

“I remember going down to Clemson, standing in the rain,” he says. “I remember how fun those games actually were. Win or lose, those are memories. Seeing everybody support each other and try to bounce back after that. Those reinforce the relationships you build.”

There have been more losses to look back on than anyone would have preferred, especially this season, but Onwualu and the other seniors did their bests to make sure the team never quit.

“They’ve been consistent on continuing to fight and stick together,” John says. “This season hasn’t been the easiest.”

Onwualu was a leader even before arriving on campus, helping put the Irish’s 2013 recruiting class together and keeping them close. He only grew closer with guys like Mike McGlinchey, Cole Luke, Isaac Rochell and others over their four years.

Onwualu played various roles throughout his four years – beginning on offense and moving to defense – and from year one, he was on the field.

“He had an extremely successful career,” his brother says. “It’s not that easy to switch from running back in high school to wide receiver his first year and then move to safety for a brief stint in the spring and then sophomore year come in and work his way up the depth chart to start at linebacker his sophomore, junior and senior year.

“It hasn’t been an easy transition, but he’s dedicated his time and I’m really proud of him for excelling at that.”

Onwualu may not have the supreme physical gifts of a Jaylon Smith, but fans probably underestimated his pure athletic talent.

“Sometimes people question James’ size or his ability to play linebacker,” his brother said. “If you just look at what he’s brought to the table, he’s been a consistent player who came to every game with the right attitude and fight and drive.

“I think the coaches saw that early on. People maybe questioned that because they like the flash and they like the Jaylon Smiths of the world, which is totally understandable, but if you look for a consistent player, that’s what you find in James Onwualu. He’s been somebody who’s shown up every day and produced. Now you’re getting the big, flashy plays this year with the sacks and whatnot. Throughout the years, he’s been that guy Notre Dame can count on.”

Rick Kimball/ISD

Onwualu finished his career with more than 140 tackles and led the Irish with 9.5 tackles for a loss, including a pair of sacks, as a senior.

His intelligence and work ethic certainly allowed him to get on the field and stay there throughout his career.

John doesn’t hide the fact the dream ending was his brother going out as a captain of the latest team to bring a national title back to South Bend, but he knows James has still gained plenty.

“Sure, that may have been the experience I would have wanted for my brother,” he admits. “But, I also view this as a positive experience for him.”

The opportunity to lead a historic team through a tough period isn’t exactly what people dream of, but it’s an opportunity that both builds and reveals character.

“True leadership is measured through tough times, not easy times,” John says. “It’s easy to stand up in front of your team and get people motivated when you’re winning and people are scoring touchdowns.

“What happens when you lose games by a couple points in double-overtime? What happens when you lose a couple of games you shouldn’t have? That’s the true test of a leader and I’m proud of him for being able to stand up in front of his team and keep people motivated. I think that’s being recognized.”

Few families will have as solid an understanding of Notre Dame coming in or as high of expectations as the Onwualus, but Notre Dame still managed to surpass them. 

“You really don’t realize what Notre Dame has to offer until you’re a part of it. As a brother and as a fan, I couldn’t be happier to have my brother go to Notre Dame. I think it was the best experience – not only athletically – but academically and community-wise that anybody could have.

“I really enjoyed my experience at Penn and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I think it was the right fit for me, but Notre Dame was for sure the right fit for James. Having the experiences both on and off the field much exceeded expectations even though the expectations were high coming in.”