Here's how the Absher family, Belmont has thrown its support behind Notre Dame football

Here’s how the Absher family, Belmont has thrown its support behind Notre Dame football

Posted by Admin January 19, 2025 Football

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Somewhere between trips to College Station, Texas, and West Lafayette, Indiana, or New York’s Yankee Stadium and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Chris Absher admits he’s lost track of how many miles his family has traveled following the Notre Dame football team this fall.

“Outside of the one in East Rutherford, New Jersey, when they faced Navy, we’ve been to every game,” he said. “That particular occasion was my daughter’s first college (game with the women’s wheelchair basketball team at the University of Alabama). Outside of that, we’ve been racking up some major mileage.”

It doesn’t take rocket science to figure where the Absher family will be Monday night, either.

Former South Point football standout Sullivan Absher is part of a Notre Dame team vying for the storied program’s first national title since 1988. The Fighting Irish will play Ohio State in the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship, the game taking place Monday night at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

It will be Notre Dame’s second trip to Atlanta in the last few months, beating Georgia Tech 31-13 on Oct. 19, 2024. Such also works in the favor of the Absher family, Georgia’s capital city also marking their shortest trip for any game this season.

“It’s funny to think a three-hour drive would equate to a home game,” Chris said. “With that said, I’m definitely pleased to see the game is down this way. It’s really just a hop, skip and jump on Interstate 85; a little while later, you’re there.”

Sullivan Absher hopes to become the latest South Point product to win a CFP national championship, joining former Clemson standout Tanner Muse.

A 6-foot-7, 321-pound offensive lineman, he has appeared in every game for Notre Dame this season, with a majority of those on special teams. He was a three-time all-conference performer at South Point, helping it to NCHSAA 3A West regional finals appearances in 2021 and 2022. The Red Raiders averaged 290 rushing yards and 37.2 points per game his senior season, their fleet of backs tallying 64 touchdowns in the process.

He chose Notre Dame over a bevy of schools, including Clemson and NC State, with Duke, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State and Tennessee also showing interest.

Needless to say, the family is happy with Sullivan’s decision.

“When ‘Sully’ was going through the recruiting process, we learned a lot of coaches would provide lip service to try to get young men on campus,” Chris Absher said. “But what I’ve seen since day one at Notre Dame is a program which says what it means and does what it says. They are intentional about building trust organically, and we’ve seen (coach Marcus Freeman) do that both in the building but also outside the program, welcoming back alumni, bringing back pregame mass and the player walk (to Notre Dame Stadium). They get it.”

Following a 10-3 season in 2023, the Fighting Irish are 14-1 heading into Monday’s national title game. Notre Dame has won 13 consecutive games following a September home loss to Northern Illinois.

“It’s been rewarding to watch this team come together following the loss to Northern Illinois,” Chris said. “No one got down; instead they used it as a bump in the road, with knowledge they could have no more slip ups. It really leveled the team, brought them down to earth … they knew they have what it took, but learned nothing was to be taken for granted.”

Greatness doesn’t come without sacrifice, however.

Following its expansion to 12 teams, CFP first-round games were held Dec. 20 and 21, just ahead of the Christmas holiday. Quarterfinal matchups took place Dec. 31, as well as Jan. 1 and 2, keeping participating football teams away from their families for the entirety of the holiday season.

While a tough pill to swallow, Chris said Notre Dame did its best to bring players some of the comforts of home.

“They made it as ‘homey’ as possible,” he said. “Over the holidays, their nutritional staff asked parents for recipes to each player’s favorite holiday dish. In Sullivan’s case, it was the sweet potato casserole; but they did it for all of the players, going the extra mile to make them feel as close to home as possible.”

Monday marks the end of a whirlwind journey for the Notre Dame football team. In the process, however, their bandwagon has picked up scores of new fans with a Belmont area code.

“It’s great to see kids go off and have success,” said South Point football coach Adam Hodge. “But to experience this, playing big time college football and play for a national championship, that’s really exciting.

“He also has a lot of people back home in Belmont doing the same; a lot of former teammates, others who just know him around town, there’s a ton of excitement and hope (Notre Dame) can get it done.”