Welcome home, James Flanigan.
The week was a homecoming for the Green Bay native, and Flanigan didn’t disappoint the hometown crowd as he scored the first touchdown of the 2026 season for the Irish.
Flanigan admitted it felt surreal to arrive at Lambeau Field and see so many familiar faces.
“It's just special,” stated Flanigan. “Everybody coming out and supporting me. I'm so thankful to my family and my friends for making it to the game. It's just special looking up there and seeing them in the crowd. It's just an unbelievable experience.”
The 6-foot-6, 253-pounder knew there would be some emotions heading into the game, so Flanigan created a plan to make sure he was ready when the lights came on.
“I think my plan for it worked,” said Flanigan. “Pregame warm-ups, go out on the field, soak it all in. If I see family, say hi, wave, but once we run out of the tunnel after warm-ups, it's all business from there. After the first play, really just tend to lock in and just focus on playing football.”
Flanigan finished his night with two catches for 10 yards, including the touchdown, which he celebrated by paying tribute to his father.
It’s a simple celebration. Flanigan simply raised his right arm toward the sky.
“That was pretty fun,” Flanigan stated. “I was just kind of thinking and then I saw some clip of my dad. There's like this highlight reel out there that I've watched before. I used to make fun of him for doing it, but now it's kind of become my thing, I guess. It's just super fun.”
The big game should provide Flanigan with confidence heading into Week 2, but he’ll be the first to say he hasn’t arrived yet.
“It just goes back to one day, one week, one practice at a time,” explained Flanigan. “Having success today doesn't mean I'll have success in the future and still have to continue to work for it.
“I've been doing a good job of just keeping the ball rolling no matter if I have a good or bad day in practice. I’m just reminding myself that. S.A.S. (Still ain’t shit) is what we call it.”
Notre Dame’s offense also finished on a high note Sunday night. The Irish scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions in the second half, and Flanigan believes they can build on that performance heading into Saturday’s game against Rice.
“We were just beating Notre Dame,” said Flanigan. “It's how Coach Freeman tells it. Having penalties, being a little sloppy. But in the second half we came out and we knew that we could dominate the game.
“We just had to not beat Notre Dame, and so we just had confidence from that and it allowed us to get the ball moving.”
Want the latest scoop on Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Under Armour Unisex Blitzing Accent 5-Panel Adjustable Hat
