Nick McCloud Trusted his Father's Advice and Ended Up at Notre Dame

The majority of college football players experience some type of adversity during their career and it was no different for cornerback Nick McCloud. 

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder was named captain to start the 2019 season, which was supposed to be his last at the collegiate level. 

McCloud then suffered a knee injury in the first game, saw his team go 4-8 and then his coaches leave the program. 

The Rock Hill (S.C.) native made the tough decision to enter the Transfer Portal in January and then committed to Notre Dame earlier this week. 

"All the defensive coaches got fired and of course he was hurt," McCloud's father, Nakia, told Irish Sports Daily. "He just wanted to get into the portal and see what was out there. A lot of schools got in contact with him, but the big one came in Notre Dame with all the rich history and a chance to win. 

"He'll get a chance to play for some good coaches. He saw his good friend, Troy Pride Jr., had some good success there." 

The adversity McCloud faced at NC State will help him adjust to life in a bigger fishbowl at Notre Dame. 

"His sophomore year, he was starting and had little injuries then before the Florida State game, he got bad food poisoning," the elder McCloud said. "That kept him out a couple weeks. He lost a lot of weight. 

"Little injuries like that had him up and down. He's one of the most competitive guys I've known. I'm not saying it because it's my son, but I'm a coach as well. Right now, we're going to go work out with Stephon Gilmore. I coached him in high school and I'm his mentor. Nick's been around him and seen how he works. He keeps working and working." 

As one would expect, McCloud's knee injury was tough for him to deal with, but he trusted his father's advice.

"I always told him just to pray," explained McCloud. "Last year, his knee got hurt. God works in mysterious ways. He has a chance to go to the playoffs with Notre Dame on a good team with good coaches. We're very excited."

McCloud will now join a talented, but inexperienced cornerback room that needs a little more leadership.

"He's going to be one of the first in the sprints and stuff," said McCloud. "He's going to be a good leader. That's what Notre Dame will get." 

The decision to attend Notre Dame was a simple one for the family. They might not get to every game, but after experiencing four years at NC State, the family couldn't be more excited to know Notre Dame is on national TV every week. 

"I get to see him every Saturday on NBC," laughed McCloud. "That's a plus. His mom was saying it was far away, but he told her he was only going to be there a year and he had to go. His goal is to win and the end goal is to make it to the NFL. He felt Notre Dame could help him get to those spots."

Notre Dame safeties coach Terry Joseph gets the credit for landing McCloud, but he also had an assist from a familiar name. 

"He also talked to Jeff Burris, who played at Notre Dame," McCloud said. "He's from Rock Hill (S.C.). He talked to those guys and got their perspective from him. That's a major deal." 

McCloud might be excited about his new home, but his father couldn't be prouder.

"It's a blessing," said McCloud. "Once you get into the Notre Dame family with the alumni - you want the best for your child. 

"Notre Dame is definitely one of the best programs out there."