Kiser Previews Notre Dame Trip
Jack Kiser has been to Notre Dame before.
“I’ve been on campus, but I’ve never been to a game,” he said.
That’ll change tomorrow, when the 2019 Indiana linebacker takes an unofficial visit to the Irish’s season-opener against Temple.
“They reached out to us,” Kiser explained. “They reached out to my head coach and invited me down for a game. What better game to go to than the home opener.”
The Pioneer High School star knows a little bit about Notre Dame and is excited for the visit.
“I know they’ve had a couple rough years, but just recently, they were in the national championship,” he said. “They just had a big renovation on their stadium. They’re a football program known for their history, known for all of their traditions. Being an Indiana kid, you always follow the Fighting Irish throughout their seasons.
“I just really want to see what the whole gameday experience is all about. I want to see the fans’ atmosphere. Like I said, I’ve never been to a game, so I want to see how the fans interact with the players and the game. I just want to see the whole atmosphere in general.”
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from Royal Center, Ind., currently owns offers from Iowa, Purdue and Indiana among others. Playing with the elite 7-on-7 program Indy Select helped Kiser get on the radar with some of the bigger schools.
“Being from a small town, it’s really tough to catch the eye of someone,” he said. “I think playing for Indy Select really helped me get my name out there and get looked at.
“Once Iowa came in and started talking to me and offering me, that was mind-boggling. Then, Indiana and Purdue followed. Getting those big schools, coming from a small school rarely happens. To have that happen is incredible.”
The Hawkeyes certainly impressed Kiser by being the first to take a chance on him while he has strong ties to West Lafayette.
“Iowa was the first to throw their name in the hat,” he said. “I think that’s really something to say. Being a small-town kid, they had to come out and find me. That’s really something to be said about them.
“My dad and my uncle threw at Purdue. They were both big-time throwers. My uncle actually won the Big Ten and my dad was second and third in the Big Ten.”
But he also has a small connection to South Bend.
“My dad actually went on to help coach the throwers at Notre Dame too in ’94,” he said. “He said it was absolutely beautiful. There’s something to be said about Notre Dame athletes because Notre Dame is known for their academics just as much as they are for their athletics.
“If you’re an athlete there, you have to work hard on your academics first. That’s the unique thing I think about Notre Dame that you don’t really see elsewhere.”
Kiser isn’t in any sort of rush to make a decision and remains open to all schools.
“Definitely, definitely. I still have a long way to go with my decision-making process. Obviously, I want to get out to every campus, be at games everywhere I’m thinking of. I just want to enjoy the process and not rush through things.”