Notre Dame is no stranger to the Super Bowl. Over the years, the Irish have had 75 players appear on Super Bowl rosters, going all the way back to Red Mack in Super Bowl I for the Green Bay Packers. Several other legends stand out as well: Joe Montana, Joe Theismann, Alan Page, Ricky Watters and Jerome Bettis just to name a few. The Irish have had Super Bowl champions the last two years as well: quarterback Ian Book was a member of the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles while linebacker Drue Tranquill was a member of the Super Bowl LVIII champion Kansas City Chiefs. The tradition continues this year, as the Irish have two players in the Super Bowl, both members of the Seattle Seahawks: safety Julian Love and defensive lineman Rylie Mills.
Julian Love
One of the veterans of the Seahawks defense, dubbed “The Dark Side,” Julian Love started his career in South Bend, where he spent three years as a cornerback at Notre Dame. From 2016-2018, Love saw significant playing time for the Irish, becoming a key part of the 2018 College Football Playoff team. By the time he was finished at Notre Dame, Love was, and still is, the Irish’s all-time leader in pass breakups. Following the 2018 season, he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. In the 2019 NFL draft, he was selected in the fourth round as the 108th overall pick by the New York Giants.
Love spent four seasons with the Giants, transitioning to the safety position during his first there. Although he still saw time at corner, his first start and the majority of his early seasons would be spent at safety. By his second season, he was starting full-time for the Giants at safety. His first two playoff starts would come during the 2022 season, when the Giants won a wild-card game in Minnesota before falling to the Eagles in the divisional round. Following the season, Love entered free agency, where he would be picked up by the Seattle Seahawks.
Since then, Love has emerged as a star and a leader for the Seahawks defense. He was named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2023 in his first season as a Seahawk and has been a starter since. This season, Love has struggled to stay on the field in the wake of a lingering hamstring injury. He returned against the Colts on Dec. 14, and has not missed a game since. Coach Mike Macdonald has praised Love for his versatility, a trait that goes back to his days playing cornerback in South Bend. He enters Super Bowl week with no injury designation for the first time since sustaining his hamstring injury and looks to lead the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl since 2013 as the most senior member of their loaded secondary.
Rylie Mills
It’s been a far more turbulent start to Mills’ NFL career compared to his fellow Notre Dame alum. Mills had an illustrious career with the Irish, playing on the defensive line for five seasons from 2020-24. He was a captain of the 2024 team and was named a second team All-American by ESPN for his role as a cornerstone of the defense. After powering the Irish front to a CFP berth, Mills unfortunately tore his ACL in the first round game against Indiana. Nevertheless, he would be drafted in the fifth round by the Seahawks as the 142nd overall pick.
Mills spent most of his rookie season in rehab, with many questioning whether or not he would even play because of the ACL injury. Amazingly, Mills recovered and made his NFL debut against the Colts on Dec. 14, the same game Julian Love returned from his hamstring injury. Including that game, Mills has now appeared in five games for the Seahawks, including their NFC Championship victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Although he may not have had a significant impact in his rookie season, Mills has been able to learn from an incredibly experienced and talented Seahawks front that includes veterans such as Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence and has set himself to be a crucial depth piece for Seattle in the Super Bowl and beyond.
