NORTHBROOK, Ill. – University of Notre Dame junior linebacker JD Bertrand was selected as one of 22 players across the country to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for outstanding contributions to their communities.
Bertrand and others were nominated by their schools for this prestigious award based on their work off the field. This current list of 22 was narrowed down after the initial announcement of 114 nominees were selected in July. This final 22-player roster was chosen by a selection panel, which includes former Good Works Team players, journalists and officials from Allstate and the AFCA. The panel looks for players that demonstrate exceptional leadership on and off the football field.
Bertrand works with Uplifting Athletes, providing experiences for children with rare diseases and their families. He currently serves as Notre Dame’s chapter president for the organization. In an effort to support its mission, Bertrand has organized fundraising events at Notre Dame, including a Lift for Life event with his teammates and an Uplifting Bowling Experience. Led by Bertrand, Notre Dame raised $80,385 over the past year. Bertrand, having previously served as the chapter’s vice president, made his mark in more than just fundraising. He set out to directly connect with and build a relationship with a child with a rare disease. He made an instant connection with a young football fan and his family and the two are in constant communication. Bertrand sees up close and personal the impact all of his fundraising efforts can have on those who benefit from the work of Uplifting Athletes.
Prior to the start of the 2022 season, Bertrand was voted a team captain by his peers. He’s started all three games this season at linebacker, recording 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss (TFL).
As a sophomore in 2021, Bertrand played and started in all 13 games, leading the team in tackles and was the only Irish player to record over 100 tackles (101). He became the first Irish player with triple digit tackles in a season since 2018, and 63 of his 101 stops were solo, more than double the next best Irish defender. He added 7.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, forced a fumble, recovered another, added a pass breakup and four quarterback hurries while being named to the Phil Steel Magazine All-Independent First Team and was a 2022 preseason candidate for the LOTT Impact trophy. Off the field, Bertrand is a member of the Alpha Mu Alpha National Marketing Honor Society. He is the 2022 Paul D. Gilbert Award for Leadership winner, an award given at the discretion of the faculty to the marketing student who has excelled in various extracurricular activities. He also earned a spot on the Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business Dean’s List in 2020.
The final roster features 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS); 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Divisions II, II and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); and one honorary head coach.
FBS
Anders Carlson – Auburn University
DeWayne Carter – Duke University
Dillan Gibbons – Florida State University
Jordan Ferguston – Middle Tennessee State University
Ryan Hilinski – Northwestern University
Patrick Fields – Stanford University
Tony Bradford, Jr. – Texas Tech University
Kearis Jackson – University of Georgia
JD Bertrand – University of Notre Dame
Deslin Alexandre – University of Pittsburgh
Caleb Williams – University of Southern California
FCS, Divisions II, III and NAIA
Austin Brenner – Ashland University
Jailen Branch – Bentley University
Matthew Feldick – Bethel University (Minn.)
Max Jones – Harvard University
Alan Gorny – Johns Hopkins University
Sione Tuifua – Morningside University
James Kaczor – North Dakota State University
Garrison Dodge – Peru State College
Michael Wozniak – Saint John’s University (Minn.)
Caleb High – Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Matt Lilja – University of Mount Union
Honorary Head Coach
Mark Stoops – University of Kentucky