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As Notre Dame has rolled through the College Football Playoff and advanced to Monday night’s national championship game against Ohio State, it has done so while straying ever so slightly from its traditional uniforms.
Unlike many of their peers across FBS football, the Fighting Irish don’t usually have nameplates on the back of their players’ jerseys, with the space above the number instead left blank. That changes in the postseason, though, when players begin wearing uniforms that include their last name on the back.
During Notre Dame’s three wins in the playoff this season, one name in particular has generated quite a bit of attention.
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Charles Du is a 5-foot-9, 181-pound junior cornerback who’s in his first season with the Fighting Irish. Though he has yet to appear in a game this season, the walk-on has stood out among his Notre Dame teammates during the postseason, as Du’s nameplate features his last name written out in Chinese rather than English.
Here’s a closer look at Du, his nameplate and his background:
Charles Du Notre Dame nameplate
While standing on the sideline in a sea of gold helmets and gold pants, there’s likely little about Du’s jersey that stands out. But the letters appearing above his No. 49 jersey number are unlike any in college football, at least this season.
A Beijing native, Du opted to have his name written in Chinese once Notre Dame entered postseason play.
It didn’t create widespread interest or even attention in his team’s 27-17 victory against Indiana in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 20, perhaps because the Irish’s dark blue jerseys featured gold letters on the nameplate, which made it more difficult for a television viewer to read them.
That…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/charles-du-nameplate-why-notre-143603584.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2025-01-20 14:36:00
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