When Notre Dame quarterbacks from different generations get together, you probably expect them to be swapping stories about game plans or epic fourth-quarter comebacks. But this summer in Chicago, Riley Leonard, CJ Carr, Blake Hebert, Kenny Minchey, Anthony Rezac, and Ian Book turned the spotlight from football to something far more impactful. They weren’t talking X’s and O’s (as much as we’d like them to guide Carr); they were using their platform to support causes much bigger than any scoreboard.

So what brought this group of Irish QBs together? Simple. Family legacies and a shared commitment to giving back. They got together for an event hosted by the Buy a Brick Foundation and the Chad Tough Foundation. Leonard’s grandfather started the Buy a Brick Foundation in 2004 to build schools in Zimbabwe, places where education isn’t always easily accessible. Meanwhile, CJ Carr’s family founded the Chad Tough Foundation in 2015 to fight DIPG and DMG, two diseases that are heartbreaking for families everywhere. These causes might seem worlds apart geographically and medically, but at their core, both foundations are about building hope and providing opportunities where they’re desperately needed.

Leonard summed up the event perfectly on Instagram. His post’s caption read, “Over the summer, my two brothers and I had the opportunity in Chicago to represent my grandfather’s non-profit organization, the ‘Buy a Brick Foundation,’ founded in 2004. Gramps couldn’t make it—he was building schools in Zimbabwe, Africa.” The Buy a Brick Foundation, started by Leonard’s grandfather, focuses on creating educational opportunities by building schools in Zimbabwe. These bricks represent hope, growth, and access to education for children in underprivileged areas where infrastructure is scarce. While Leonard and his brothers were in Chicago representing this cause, his grandfather was continuing that mission firsthand, investing sweat equity overseas by physically helping build schools that will serve generations to come.

His caption continued, “We teamed up with ‘Chad Tough,’ CJ Carr’s family foundation, started in 2015 to fight DIPG/DMG and other rare diseases. Shoutout to all the ND Qs for coming to support. If anyone wants to learn more about the foundations, they’re both linked in my bio.” And honestly, those words show just how personal and meaningful this was for their entire families. The Chad Tough Foundation, founded by CJ Carr’s family, is dedicated to combating DIPG and DMG, forms of rare, aggressive childhood brain tumors with little effective treatment. The foundation raises awareness, funds vital research, and supports families dealing with these devastating diseases.

The group effort also shows something deep about these players. They get that leadership is about backing up words with action, stepping up for causes that impact lives deeply, and using fame to shine a light on issues many people don’t see daily. So, next time you cheer for Leonard, Carr, or their teammates on the field, remember their biggest plays might be the ones they make off it, building schools, fighting diseases, and coming together for something bigger than all of us. Because that’s what real heroes do.

Riley Leonard’s family legacy

It’s easy to watch Riley Leonard under those bright South Bend lights and think football is his whole world, but if you ask him, he’d probably start the story thousands of miles away, under the blazing African sun. When Riley talks about his grandfather, Gib Leonard, there’s an unmistakable pride. This is a guy who, twenty years ago, traveled to Zimbabwe with his church group and came back a different person. “It is great for us to go and preach the gospel and all that sort of thing. But look at these starving children. These kids sit underneath trees to go to school. They don’t have any books, they don’t have any pencils, they don’t have shoes,” Gib said. That moment didn’t end when he left Africa; it was just the beginning.

From that deep ache, the Buy a Brick Foundation was born, and since 2004, Gib and his wife, Leigh, have made it their life’s mission. And they’ve put in real sweat, building 40 schools and helping provide healthcare for thousands in Zimbabwe. Riley grew up with this work woven into his family’s story. He watched his grandfather leave, again and again, to continue building homes, schools, and clinics. For the Leonards, giving back isn’t a catchphrase; it’s what they have been doing. Every brick in those schools is a family memory, a small act of hope that snowballs into something bigger for an entire village.

Riley sums it up perfectly in his own words. He says, “Since I was two-years-old, my grandfather Gib Leonard has traveled to Zimbabwe to build housing, schools, and health clinics. His mission, driven by faith and dedication, inspires me every day. He is my hero, and I invite you to learn more about the Buy a Brick Foundation. Each donation impacts lives.” For Riley, what his grandfather started continues to shape his everyday choices, on the field, in the classroom, and most of all, far beyond the game. That’s the real legacy: not just a quarterback with a big arm, but a young man carrying his family’s heart for service every step of the way.