Jeremiyah Love: A Projected Top-10 NFL Draft Pick

Jeremiyah Love, a running back from the University of Notre Dame, is a projected top-10 selection in the upcoming NFL draft. In his junior season, he recorded 1,652 all-purpose yards and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting. In recent interviews, Love and those close to him have discussed his personal development, interests, and football career.

Background and Personal Development

According to his parents, Love preferred solitude and had specific routines during his youth, including particular preferences for how his clothing fit and his shoes were arranged. They stated that a family pediatrician suggested Love might have autism spectrum disorder. His parents said they did not pursue formal accommodations but came to understand he perceived the world differently.

Love stated that he previously struggled to access his emotions. He credited watching the anime series Seven Deadly Sins, specifically a scene where the character Meliodas expresses emotion, with helping him become more comfortable expressing his own feelings. "Before I watched anime, I was tired. I didn't have many emotions... And, just seeing that opened my eyes to allow myself to be able to feel those things," Love said.

He also stated that reading superhero comics helped shape his personal moral code. "Looking at superhero stories, looking at their morals and what they deemed right or wrong helped me to decipher in real life, Is it right to do this? Is it wrong to do this?" Love said.

His family stated they encouraged his social development, which included securing an individual dorm room for him at Notre Dame. His mother, L'Tyona Love, said his warmth is "so unforced." She also recalled discovering he had learned to play the piano and conversational Japanese without his parents' prior knowledge.

Football Career and Relationships

High School

Love attended Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis. His high school coach, Scott Pingel, stated that Love sometimes switched positions on the field during plays so his best friend, Dylan Van, could receive more carries. Pingel noted Love averaged 10 carries per game in his final season despite being a highly recruited player. Love also scored all five touchdowns in an overtime state championship game as a senior.

According to accounts from coaches and teammates, Love advocated for upperclassmen teammates to receive their preferred single-digit jersey numbers after an algorithm assigned them to underclassmen, even though his own number had been given to a freshman.

Van, now a junior running back at Pittsburgh State, described their friendship. "If Jeremiyah loves you and you're close to him, he's going to be there for you... He's not going to judge you for anything," Van said. Van also stated that Love spent his 18th birthday driving him around to comfort him.

College Career at Notre Dame

According to sources, during his recruitment, Love told Notre Dame coaches he would commit if they also offered a scholarship to Dylan Van.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman described Love as a "unique individual" and stated, "He is so much more than a football player. There's so much that he does, and who he is when no one is around." Freeman also said Love does not seek attention.

Notre Dame running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider recounted a specific play from a game against Boston College. Seider stated that during a television timeout before a play, he told Love, "I bet you won't go 94," and then explained the play design. Love scored on a 94-yard touchdown run on the subsequent play. After the run, Love said he was looking for Seider because "he was talking s---."

At Notre Dame, Love developed a signature heart celebration after scoring touchdowns.

Other Interests and Projects

Love has created a comic book called Jeremonstar, which his father narrates. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman stated his seven children received autographed copies for Christmas.

When asked what he hopes readers understand from the comic, Love said he wants them to know him as someone who loves video games and anime, to understand that "they won't always be the star," and to "be authentically you."

According to coaches who have worked with him, Love is skilled at blocking and could potentially play as a wide receiver in the NFL. He prepared for the NFL draft process in California.