Kyle Hamilton is an NFL star now, having made first-team All-Pro in 2023 and becoming a two-time Pro-Bowler for the Baltimore Ravens. But seven years back, when Hamilton was pondering his decision and making recruiting decisions, NFL glory was the last thing on his mind. All he thought at the time was of having a backup plan, in case football didn’t work out. But little did he know that the objective would finally lead him to South Bend, a place starkly opposite his city, Atlanta, Georgia, and almost 700 miles apart.

Born to a black American father, Derrek, who played professional basketball in Europe, and a South Korean mother, Jackie. Kyle was introduced to different flavors of priorities from both his father and mother. “He enjoyed hurting people… He liked the physical (part) of football,” said Derrek Hamilton, who instilled discipline, physicality, and a relentless work ethic in Kyle. While Jackie instilled an academic rigor in him and even sent Kyle to academic camps. “There were times Kyle went kicking and screaming, but I think he came back liking it, and he certainly learned a lot.” So, for Kyle’s mother, having a good academic background became paramount for Kyle, and that finally opened the doors of Notre Dame.

Kyle Hamilton sat with NFL Hall of Famer Rod Woodson on the Baltimore Ravens’ September 16th podcast episode and talked about his influences from childhood, including his decision to choose Notre Dame. “I was deciding between Georgia and Notre Dame. And when it all came down to it and my mom would always instill in me and my brother, like the chances of you making money in a sport are slim to none. And I want you to go to a place where you have the opportunity to provide for yourself and your family in the future,” said Kyle Hamilton. Notre Dame, of course, has a rich academic legacy.

Notre Dame has been consistently ranked among the top-20 US universities globally and was 13th in the Forbes rankings. The University’s Mendoza College of Business is renowned throughout the world, ranked 26th globally for MBA programs. Not just that, Notre Dame also boasts a 96% graduation rate, which is top 2% nationally, and its alumni network includes Nobel Laureates, Supreme Court Justices, and CEOs. Getting all of that along with a rich footballing heritage is rare, and so joining Notre Dame became a no-brainer for Kayle and his mother. “My mom wanted me to get a good education, and I said they have the best combination of football and education,” said Kyle Hamilton. Fate, though, had other plans for Hamilton.

Hamilton graduated from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing in May 2022. Though that degree didn’t affect much what he would go on to do in the NFL. At Notre Dame, Hamilton started torching offenses early in his freshman season, earning Freshman All-American honors and later getting First-Team All-American honors in the 2020 season under Brian Kelly. Right after his 2021 season, after getting Consensus All-American honors, Kyle was selected 14th overall in the NFL draft by the Ravens and has been going strong ever since. Now, 4  years since, for the Safety, the love for Notre Dame still runs deep.

The love of Notre Dame is still strong for Kyle Hamilton, despite getting several dejections from the Fighting Irish

Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Hamilton’s talent was noticed at just 5, when the guy didn’t even know how to tie his laces. Former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher was the offensive coordinator at LSU and was wowed by the talent of young Hamilton, who was playing quarterback at an under-7 camp. LSU then left an indelible mark on him from his childhood, since he started visiting their games regularly and was present in the stands when Notre Dame mauled LSU in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. Hamilton also attended other games, like the 31-28 Fighting Irish victory in 2014 and the 21-17 bowl game comeback in 2017. One would expect Hamilton to despise Notre Dame due to these experiences.

But when he visited Notre Dame’s campus and saw the dome, those moments faded like a falsely remembered memory.“I went to campus and saw the dome. It’s kind of like mesmerizing. You either fall in love with it or you hate it. So I fell in love with it, committed, and it’s probably one of the best decisions I made, just being there and the people there, just the alumni network, everything, and the pageantry of Notre Dame itself is one of a kind, and I loved it,” said Hamilton.

Right now, Hamilton is busy lighting offenses in the NFL and has entered the 2025 season as the highest-paid safety ever in the NFL. Just last month, Raven retained Hamilton on a whopping $100.4 million 4-year contract extension, which includes $82 million guaranteed. So far in the 2025 season, Hamilton has played two games against the Buffalo Bills and the Browns, notching up 9 tackles. “Hamilton’s commitment to his academics was as strong as his play on the field. He’s a Notre Dame man through and through,” said Brian Kelly after Hamilton’s NFL draft selection.