Everyone meet Joe Schmidt, a senior linebacker for our very own Fightin’ Irish football team! As a leader on and off the football field, Joe aims to excel in everything he does.Â
You can trust me when I say he ain’t no average Joe.
The Pre-Game Run Down:Â
Name: Joe Schmidt
Year: Senior
Dorm: Keenan / Dillon
Hometown: Orange County, California
Major: Business – Management Entrepeneurship
Relationship Status: SINGLE
Campus Activities:Â Football, Worker in the investment office, President and co-founder of Uplifting Athletes Notre Dame (a national non-profit organization that uses football as a platform to raise money and awareness.)
Three words that people use to describe you:Â Optimistic, Driven, and Charismatic.
Interests:Â Other than football, I’d have to say business, my family, and boating.
Favorite Book: Harry Potter (Prisoner of Azkaban)
Favorite TV show: Friends
Favorite dessert:Â Warm Pizookie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Nothing better.Â
Biggest pet peeve:Â Poorly written text messages are the worst.
Favorite bible verse: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12: 9-10
Celebrity Crush:Â 25-year-old Jennifer Aniston.
What do you love most about Cali? You can do absolutely everything and anything. There’s deserts, mountains, beaches, rivers, and so much more to explore.Â
Interesting Fact: I used to do musical theatre. Ever since I was little, I’ve always sung for my mother and grandma. When I was a senior in high school, I was the lion in my high school’s production of The Wiz. I also did concert choir senior year, where I was a Baritone and Bass.  I think I’m an okay singer, but I’ve got good stage presence.
Sideline Shenanigans:Â
What’s your best physical feature? Not my left ankle…
What do you look for in a girl? Athleticism to a certain extent, but I really don’t think I have a type. She’s gotta have a relationship with God as well as a level of independence.
What makes you cry? The movie Radio and my family crying.
What is your biggest deal breaker in a girl? Cigarettes are a big no, no. Same with drug abuse.
What’s your ideal date? Going to Laguna Beach. We’d walk around the beach the whole day and cap the date off with dinner on the water.
If I knew right now who you will marry, would you want to know? No, I think it’s a part of God’s plan. There’s a purpose in going through the journey to find your lifelong spouse. You learn so much about yourself along the way, and you change in many ways as well.Â
Play-By-Play Analysis:
When did you decide that football was something you wanted to pursue? Ever since I was five, I have been very serious about football and pursuing a career in it. I remember wanting to go to ND so badly, and I just remember being so happy and dreaming about one day being there.Â
Describe your transition from walk-on to starter. It’s been a long journey. Lots of people don’t have the perspective of being a walk-on. It’s a thankless job – no one cares if you get hurt, and you truly become a dummy to be used for practice purposes. When I found out that I would play against Rice this past season, I texted my family saying, “Thank you guys. All of my dreams are about to come true.”
If you could change one rule about football, what would you change and why? Pick rules (aka rules against being picked).
What’s been a hardship in your life that you have had to overcome? Throughout my entire life, I’ve never been biggest, strongest, or fastest. Even when I was growing up, my sisters were always much more athletic than me. It’s been something that I have had to work through, but I think I’ve proven myself a contender now.
Are you more like your mom or your dad? Why? I think I display characterisitics of both honestly. My mom is an extrovert – very loud, outgoing, and talkative, while my dad mixes well with people and is very empathetic.
Who is your biggest role model in life? My dad because of the way he lives his life, what he’s done, and where he’s at now. If I’m anywhere as successful as he has been, I will be happy.Â
The Post-Game Wrap-Up:
What is your favorite Notre Dame memory thus far? Saturday night after the USC game in 2013. Everything was just perfect.
Where is your favorite spot at Notre Dame? The benches across from the lake and the benches along St. Joe’s lake. I like to go there alone, have lunch, and just reflect.
Plans for the Future: My family and working in business are two things that are so important to me. As long as I’m with family and doing what I love, I’ll be happy.
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Thanks for the interview, Joe!
XOXO, HCND
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Images: provided by interviewee