Albert Simien has made a name for himself helping others.
The elite 2027 Louisiana offensive lineman became one of the nation’s most-sought-after recruits because of the ability he’s shown to protect quarterbacks and create running lanes.
Simien wrapped up his recruiting process on Friday, announcing his commitment to Notre Dame over Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss and Nebraska. The Irish are thrilled to have Simien join their football program, but Simien already has his sights set on helping people in very different ways long after his career in South Bend is finished.
Simien has his eyes on a career in Psychology, where he could eventually help athletes navigate many of the same challenges he has faced as an elite recruit and is likely to face moving forward throughout his college career and potentially beyond that.
The interest isn't random.
Simien grew up surrounded by people who dedicated their lives to serving others.
His mother, Nicole, spent 20 years running an early learning center and is now working toward becoming a licensed social worker after earning her Masters degree in Social Work. His older brother, Myles, earned a Master's degree in Family and Marriage Therapy and now works as a licensed counselor at a psychiatric hospital.
Helping people isn't just something the family talks about. It was something they do.
The Psychology field has always felt familiar, but more importantly, meaningful to Albert.
"I've been around it and had many talks about Psychology,” Simien explained. “It's a field with common ground, just trying to get the most out of helping people that you can because that's kind of like a big thing for me, just being able to help as many people as possible."
Nicole believes that desire has always been part of who her son is.
"He's not a selfish kid at all," she said. "He's never been selfish."
In some ways, she sees similarities between Albert's personality and the position he plays.
"The guys that typically play o-line, they're not selfish individuals," Nicole said. "I guess it goes hand in hand."
Anyone who has watched Simien play can understand the comparison.
At 6-foot-4 and nearly 300 pounds, he spends Friday nights moving defenders, protecting quarterbacks and creating opportunities for everyone around him. The work is physical, demanding and often goes unnoticed unless something goes wrong.
Nicole laughs when she thinks about how different he looks on the field compared to the person she sees at home.
"If you look at him on the field, it's like, 'Okay, my kid is just smacking the mess out of this guy,'" she said. "He will flatten you out and then pick you up off the ground and tell you, 'Come on, let's do it again.'"
Off the field, she describes him as a jokester with a strong sense of humor and an even stronger sense of conviction.
"When his mind is set to do something, he's going to do it,” she said.
That trait surfaced repeatedly throughout his recruitment.
With some of the nation’s top programs hounding him, Simien spent the past several years navigating recruiting pitches, social media attention, expectations and opinions from every direction. Through it all, Nicole says he never seemed interested in becoming somebody he wasn't.
"He's very set on what his needs are," she said. "Whatever he wants to accomplish or whatever he thinks is good for him, he's set on that."
That consistency is one of the things that makes her most proud.
"When I see that he's staying true to himself and when he says, 'You know what? This is what matters, this is the value,” she says. “This is what I want to do,' it just astonishes me."
The foundation for those values was built long before recruiting entered the picture.
His father has played an equally important role in shaping his heart for service. He has spent years living the principles that psychology seeks to promote; empathy, mentorship, leadership, and helping others reach their potential. Throughout the community, he has invested countless hours mentoring young men, creating employment opportunities, and offering guidance to those in need. Whether preparing meals for families during times of loss, lending his extensive knowledge and skills to help others.
Nicole's daycare center was originally envisioned as something much bigger than childcare.
Her goal was to create a place where parents, especially first-time mothers, could receive support, guidance and resources while their children were being cared for.
"I've always had the passion to serve," said Nicole.
"My goal was to have a safe space for parents to come in, especially those first-time moms, to come in and do resumes, to learn how to deal with the behaviors of having a kid for the first time and what to expect."
The vision eventually ran into licensing regulations and logistical hurdles that made the broader concept difficult to sustain. But the desire to help people never disappeared.
Today, Nicole continues working toward that goal through social work while Myles has already established himself in the counseling profession, working with those recovering from addiction and mental health disorders.
Somewhere along the way, Albert started paying attention.
Nicole isn't entirely sure whether his interest in Psychology came from watching her coursework, listening to conversations around the house or simply discovering a calling of his own. When she was pursuing her Master's degree, Myles often helped her study and Albert was frequently nearby.
"I would play my videos and things like that and I would talk to Myles about some of the scenarios," Nicole said. "He was always present."
Maybe something piqued his interest. Maybe it was already there.
Whatever the source, Simien has already begun thinking about where a Psychology degree could eventually take him.
While the degree could take him in a multitude of areas, one feels particularly fitting.
"More along the lines of Sports Psychology," Simien said. "I would say that's the easiest and most natural route."
As an elite recruit, Simien has experienced the pressure, uncertainty and emotional ups and downs that come with being one of the most sought-after players in the country. He's seen the expectations. He's lived the recruiting process. He's balanced football with school, family and the realities of being a teenager.
Years from now, an elite recruit trying to balance those same expectations, pressures and social media attention could find himself sitting across from someone who has already lived it in Simien.
"It'll give more of a peace of mind and comfortability to know, ‘Yeah, what you've gone through is normal and it's expected,’" Simien said. "‘There's going to be struggle. There's going to be fatigue. There's going to be a lot of things you haven't accounted for and yet you're still having to do college.’"
Simien hopes to be somebody a younger version of himself could come to for advice and reassurance.
To Nicole, that perspective is exactly why her son could eventually thrive in the field.
"We get so focused on the college part and winning for these colleges," she said. "Okay, that's good. But for me as a parent, it's beyond that.
"What we're educating him on is that this next level is what God has for you. Use your gift to be able to reach out to people."
The football chapter is only beginning.
There will be practices, games, competition and expectations waiting for Simien at the next level.
But if everything unfolds the way he hopes, football won't be the final destination. Instead, it will be the bridge that allows him to help the next generation of athletes navigate the same challenges he faced prior to making his own decision.
Want the latest scoop on the Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9' x 9' Side Panel
