Carroll & Co. Comfortable With Choice

It was a very difficult decision, there’s no doubt about it, but in the end, there was a consensus, which is often impossible to get to with the Carroll family even when the choice is simply between restaurants. 

Quinn Carroll’s decision to commit to Notre Dame over schools like Minnesota, Virginia Tech and Penn State will have a much more lasting impact than one night’s dinner and unlike most in-house discussions on where to eat, there were no dissenters. 

“When you have nine people in a family and we’re all at peace and in agreement that it’s darn good fit for Quinn, that in and of itself is affirmation,” Carroll’s father, Jay, told Irish Sports Daily.

“Not that he couldn’t have fit elsewhere, but this one was a darn good fit that we all had peace with.”

As for the entire family agreeing on where to have dinner, “happens about once every leap year,” Jay Carroll joked.

Carroll narrowed his list to the Irish, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Ohio State and Wisconsin before making his announcement on Tuesday and even trimming things down that far required “splitting hairs” in some instances, according to his father.

In the end, the decision came down to feel as much as anything.

“I think there are a lot of things on paper that Quinn could rattle off relative to why he chose Notre Dame – and I think he’s probably done a lot of that – but I think that kid just fell in love the first time he walked on that campus,” Jay Carroll explained.

“Every time thereafter, it was more so and more so. We certainly saw what he saw. The campus itself, the people, obviously the history, etc. Everyone knows about that. Just great people.”

Mr. Carroll said the current players on the roster reminded him and his wife of their own son.

“It’s like they’re cut out of a similar mold,” he explained. “I think Quinn just felt at home with the players, so that made us feel good.”

The spiritual aspect of Notre Dame was another strong pull from the beginning.

“But that had to be felt by Quinn and we think in the end, it was,” Jay Carroll said. “He wanted to be at a faith-based school. There’s a lot of great attributes to Notre Dame and a lot of great attributes to Minnesota and Penn State and Virginia Tech and so on, but I think he fell in love in the end.”

After the list was narrowed to six, Carroll’s family was ready to accept whatever decision he made, provided he could display sound reasoning. So, when he told them Notre Dame was his choice, they sat him down about a half-dozen times to test it.

They pushed him on the fact that he would be farther away from home when Minnesota was just 15 minutes down the road. They reminded him of how great his brother Collin’s experience was at Virginia Tech. They challenged him about the system, the players, the coaches, the schedule and anything else they could think of. 

“He was absolutely stalwart in his responses and he was convincing,” Jay Carroll said. “We have no doubt that this decision is rock solid, our entire family.”

The Carrolls already have one date on the 2018 Notre Dame schedule circled for a possible return – the opener against Michigan – but aren’t sure when else they’ll be back in South Bend.

“We want to get him down there as often as we can and get him around some of these teammates-to-be and some of these other 2019 recruits,” Jay Carroll said. “Quinn is very excited about these other guys who have committed. He’s gotten to know them a little bit through the recruiting circles and he’s pumped about the other talent Notre Dame is landing. It’s very exciting for him.”

Growing up a diehard Notre Dame fan, Jay Carroll admits it’s still difficult to grasp the fact that his son will be suiting up for the Irish a little over a year from now.

“Until I show up in South Bend and see the kid in the uniform on the field, it probably won’t hit me,” he said. “I’ve imagined that the two times I’ve been there for the USC game and then for the spring game. It’s just hard to believe it’s going to be a reality. I’m thrilled beyond belief. My wife is as well. We’re very proud of this kid. We think Notre Dame is a great selection for him.

“We are so thrilled about Notre Dame as parents. We’ll just have to bring some Kleenex to the first few games before we get used to it.”