Talk about a throwback.
At the end of the 2005 season, No. 4 Ohio State met No. 5 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes were led by linebacker A.J. Hawk, and the Fighting Irish by quarterback Brady Quinn—sixth- and fourth-place finishers in the Heisman voting, respectively.
The matchup between the two players was highly anticipated, and not merely because of their on-field heroics: Quinn’s sister Laura was Hawk’s girlfriend (and future wife).
Displaying her divided loyalty, Laura Hawk memorably wore a split jersey for the game that has lingered in the back of Ohio State and Notre Dame fans’ minds for decades... until Friday afternoon.
ESPN analyst and former West Virginia kicker Pat McAfee obtained the jersey and wore it ahead of the No. 6 Buckeyes’ showdown with the No. 9 Fighting Irish Saturday evening.
Pat McAfee got Brady Quinn's Sister's jersey from the 2006 Fiesta Bowl for his show at Notre Dame today.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 22, 2023
AJ Hawk says his mother-in-law had it in storage for 20 years. What a pull! pic.twitter.com/Fe6bqjLw7J
According to Hawk, a frequent collaborator of McAfee’s, his mother-in-law had kept the jersey in storage for nearly 20 years.
Although both went on to careers in media, Hawk got the better of Quinn on that day in 2006, sacking him twice and sharing MVP honors with quarterback Troy Smith in a 34–20 win.
