Notre Dame safety Adon Shuler had just wrapped up practice Wednesday at the Irish Athletics Center, putting the final work in before Sunday’s season opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.
As one of four Irish players named a captain this week, he met reporters for a scheduled interview. It had been the toughest of weeks for Shuler. His father, Don Shuler — the man he called his best friend, his person, his everything — died at age 47.
Adon had taken the previous 48 hours to spend with his family in New Jersey, but he was back in South Bend, Ind., taking care of his football business. And he planned to be on the field with his team Sunday, starting a season with national championship expectations, because that’s what his dad would have wanted.
“He would be mad if I didn’t,” Adon said.
Adon called his father a “legend,” not only for his family but for their hometown of Irvington, N.J., where he was a Pop Warner coach. He said his death was rough for his family, which includes younger brothers Donte and Donovan, but also the community.
“When you come from a community where it’s hard to see different circumstances, and to stay in that circumstance and elevate and thrive is really hard, and that’s something that he showed every day,” Adon said. “He cared about everybody, no matter who was around, who he touched, who he impacted, he was the light in the room, and he made it better.”
And he was a light for his son, whom he talked with every day, about football and life.
Don was an offensive lineman at Irvington High School and taught Adon football from a young age — how to set up in a three-point stance and other basic fundamentals. When Adon got older, it became clear he was going to be a skill player because of his size. But his dad, who was said to move like a running back despite playing on the line, could still see some of his game in the way his son moved.
Mostly Don impressed upon his sons to have fun playing football because you can’t play it forever. He loved talking with people at Notre Dame and hearing how coach Marcus Freeman elevated his players. This summer, he talked with his son about his goals for the season, including being a better leader.
Adon said his father was so excited when he heard the news that he had been named captain for a second straight season.
“He lived through us,” Adon said. “So he’s just going to continue to do that.”
Don also taught his son how to be a light for people who need him, how to be level-headed and stable and how to deal with adversity.
“You have to run to adversity. I feel like that’s something that we talked about a lot as a kid,” Adon said. “If it’s easy, it’s probably not the right path to go. And you’re not always dealt the right cards in life, and you know that’s something that he told me from day one. Like you ain’t gonna be dealt the right cards, and you just have to be OK with it and change the narrative and change how people either view you or how they want to view you.”
Don was a vocal supporter of his son’s football journey, often connecting with reporters over the years to share details of Adon’s career. He even went on a podcast in July to talk about his hopes for the season, Adon’s third year as a starter. He noted that while Freeman makes sure his team doesn’t look too far into the future, he believed in what they had put together.
“I feel as though this definitely can be the team that wins it all,” Don said in July. “They have a lot of depth at every position, and I think that’s what Notre Dame was missing a few years back when we did go to the national championship. I believe we’re going to have a chance to make a very, very strong run at the national championship.”
Freeman said on a reporters’ Zoom call Friday that when he found out Don’s health was declining he tried to be what Adon needed him to be, and he understands that could change as Adon goes through the stages of grief.
But he said there was never a question that Adon would play Sunday.
“He is such a strong young man, and his focus wasn’t on himself,” Freeman said. “It was on making sure that he’s there for his mom and his brothers, and that tells you who Adon Shuler is. He doesn’t think about himself. He thinks about others.”
Adon was able to return home to Irvington for 48 hours early in the week to be with his mother, grandmother and brothers and attended a balloon release to honor his father at a local park. Members of the community showed up to let go of black and gold balloons and gave speeches about his impact. Shuler expects to spend more time with his family after the opener Sunday.
But he believed he needed to be back at Notre Dame during the week, to be there for the players and coaches who showed him love and support as he grieved the loss.
“I have to get back here with my brothers,” Adon said. “We’ve got a game coming up. That’s what he wanted, and that’s what he expected.”
Adon Shuler, Notre Dame football, Don Shuler, Irvington, N.J., Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame-Wisconsin
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