Notre Dame LB JD Bertrand Ready to Lead Irish Defense

Notre Dame linebacker JD Bertrand knows the August grind.

2022 will mark Bertrand’s fourth preseason camp in South Bend, but Georgia native is quick to state this year is different. 

"It's an exciting start to the season and there is so much energy around the program with Coach (Marcus) Freeman,” Bertrand said earlier this week. “Talking about football in general, the main thing is making sure we get better every day. We have such good resources in Coach (Al) Golden and James (Laurinaitis). How many people have James Lauarintis in their linebacker room?" 

In addition to picking the mind of his new coaches, Bertrand is also healthy as he played the entire 2022 season with a wrist injury that required offseason surgery. 

The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder led the Irish in tackles last fall, but don’t think he’s football all the time. Bertrand took advantage of Notre Dame’s study abroad program in May and made some memories of a lifetime. 

"Milan was an awesome experience,” explained Bertrand. “I'd recommend it for everyone. I think that's what sets Notre Dame apart. We're so special out of the football program because we allow our guys to get that cultural engagement.”

Now, Bertrand admits the trip helped grow team chemistry as he was able to spend quality time with some teammates, but they also faced some adversity taking in life in another country.

"The biggest thing I took away from it was I grew with 8-10 of my teammates,” said Bertrand. “We were able to grow that aspect of our relationship outside of football and get to know each other. We saw what drives each other and why we play the way we play and why we are the way we are. 

"It wasn't as pretty as you'd think. We had hot hotel rooms where they'd turn the AC off at night. We were just in those situations where everything wasn't perfect and we just spent time with each other." 

Leadership is an area Freeman will count on Bertrand for in 2022 as the senior linebacker has been through the fire. Bertrand’s voice also carries weight and he’s not afraid to share his experiences with his teammates. 

"I told our guys the other day I was lucky I got to spend some time with Jerome Bettis,” Bertrand explained. “When I talked to him, he was like, 'Hey. Who are you competing with?' 

"His message wasn't necessarily that I was competing with those guys, but I'm also competing with myself and the JD Bertrand that plays at Michigan, Ohio State and Georgia." 

Bertrand is also on his third defensive coordinator during his time at Notre Dame. Learning the nuances of a new defense is the priority, but he is also enjoying the freedom and pressure Golden is giving his linebackers. 

"There are similarities and differences,” Bertrand said of Golden’s defense compared to last year. “Coach Golden is giving us a lot of control to anticipate offenses based on formations and stuff like that and we can get our defense into different checks or adjustments." 

It also means communication needs to be at an all-time high as all three levels of the Irish defense need to be on the same page and that’s what Bertrand is focused on during the first week of camp. 

"You can never be good enough at communication and being able to get that communication from the secondary to the linebackers and to the defensive line,” Bertrand said. “Everything we're doing is relating to each other and being able to communicate is invaluable on defense and football in general." 

Notre Dame’s linebacker corps is deep, but so is the defensive line. Bertrand has been extremely impressed with what he’s seen from the defensive line and that bodes well for Freeman’s program. 

"They are great guys,” stated Bertrand. “Coach Freeman mentioned it, but we're going to be led by the strong. We’re going to be an offensive line and defensive line driven program. Our defensive line is a really strong unit." 

And if there wasn’t enough motivation heading into the season-opener at Ohio State, Bertrand got in June when he traveled to Knoxville to watch his older brother, John Michael, help the Irish advance to Omaha. 

"They were the biggest underdogs you could be and Tennessee was supposed to be the greatest team college baseball has ever seen,” said Bertrand. “It's not a matter of what everyone says, but it's a matter of what you believe, even when things go wrong, you could see them continue to fight." 

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