Jeremiyah Love is right at the centre of the spotlight after the Arizona Cardinals picked him at No. 3 during the 2026 NFL Draft. However, while growing up, it was not always fame and glory for the running back. When he was young, he and his family were told by a pediatrician that he might be on the autism spectrum. Despite that, Love went on to do some great things in college football and worked his way to the NFL. Speaking on a recent episode of the St. Brown podcast, he opened up on his current condition and answered whether he believes he’s on the spectrum.

“I mean, honestly, I probably am cause growing up I had problems, like had social problems, like I just wasn’t able to, didn’t know how to connect with people socially for real. So, that’s probably why they thought that. But honestly, today bro, probably on the spectrum,” said Love on the podcast.

On the St. Browns podcast, Love also confirmed that he had OCD tendencies and liked things to be organised.

When he was younger, his parents, L’Tyona and Jason Love, consulted the pediatrician who had seen the RB since he was a child. The doctor’s diagnosis was that he possibly had autism, maybe even the high-functioning end; however, his parents did not pursue further confirmation about the diagnosis.

It turned out to be the best decision they ever made. The running back grew up to be one of Notre Dame’s best players. His story was even featured on ESPN’s “College GameDay” before the Week 5 game against Arkansas. The story came full circle as Love went on to score four touchdowns against Arkansas in the first half of the game, highlighting his elite level.

“He would tell me, ‘Ma, I don’t feel emotion.’ It’s like he didn’t feel happiness, he didn’t feel grief, he didn’t feel any of that,” said L’Tyona Love to ESPN. “I was like, ‘Ya, you do,’ but he was like, ‘No, I don’t.'”

Somewhere, he and his parents will be grateful to the doctor for advising them to let Love be himself. He had high expectations for the RB, and he did exactly that.

“The doctor advised us to just continue to let him be who he is, and learn how to adapt to it and encourage him,” said Jason Love, Love’s dad. “Don’t try to change him, let him change the world.”

Another player who has openly spoken about autism diagnosis is former Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers offensive tackle Joe Barksdale. He played in the league for eight seasons before retiring to pursue a music career.

Players like Barksdale and Love openly speaking about autism and the spectrum is great for the NFL, as it is a brand that has a global reach. With these topics being discussed by athletes, more people would become comfortable talking about their disabilities.

While Barksdale’s career saw him play a supporting role on teams, for Love, he has all the signs of being the next big star for the Arizona Cardinals.

Jeremiyah Love’s stat shows that he is headed for greatness

Last season, Jeremiyah Love was one of the most interesting players to watch in college football. However, his journey to greatness began much earlier than last year. Love’s supreme talent blossomed when he was at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, Missouri. As a consensus four-star prospect and a top-100 national recruit in the 2023 high school class, who helped his team win back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022, Love got more than 30 scholarship offers.

Ultimately, he chose Notre Dame and spent three seasons there, declining offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Oregon, and other top Division I colleges. During the first season, he had only one start but recorded 385 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in 71 carries. The following year, he broke out of his shell and started all 16 games.

He totaled 1,125 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns in 163 carries. As a receiver, he added 237 yards and two touchdowns in 29 receptions. In his third season, he had over 1,600+ scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns in 12 starts, which helped him win the Doak Walker Award.

Love already has a great story; now, he just needs to go out there and play with all his heart. He is playing for a franchise that has craved for a star player, and with Love on the roster, they could finally find some kind of joy and return to the glory days.