2022 LB commit Tre Reader raves about last Notre Dame trip: ‘I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life’
Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep linebacker and 2022 Notre Dame commit Tre Reader is no stranger to the Irish. His brother, Troy, is a 2023 baseball commit, and one of his best friends is five-star Notre Dame football commit Keon Keeley. He’s been up to South Bend several times in the last year, including three visits under new head coach Marcus Freeman.
Each trip gives Reader a new look at campus, increasing the excitement level every time. His most recent trek for the April 23 spring game? It was off the charts.
“The weekend was a huge success,” Reader told BlueandGold.com. “I got to connect with some of the former players who came back and the recruits in my class plus the class below. I really thought Coach Chad (Bowden) did a tremendous job of setting up the event and making it a special weekend. The connections I made with past players are incredibly valuable to me, and it speaks volumes to how special of a place Notre Dame is and the doors that it can open for you.”
The preferred walk-on plans to enroll in the Mendoza School of Business, one of the country’s top business schools. The opportunity has already led to connections, as the high school senior has built a relationship with Jack Shields, a former Irish linebacker who graduated in 1983 and founded Shields Health Solutions, a specialty pharmacy accelerator which aims to increase drug access for specialty pharmacies. Shields is originally from Massachusetts, but the company has offices in both Boston and Tampa. Reader was able to shadow him in the Tampa office over spring break.
“He’s been an extremely useful resource as far as just talking about his experience at Notre Dame, what he would do differently, what he liked a lot,” Reader said. “He’s been a great mentor to me so far.”
In addition to meeting with alumni over the weekend, Reader enjoyed a pre-game meet up with recruits, one which was set up by Bowden, the recruiting coordinator, and included food trucks outside of “The Gug” on a sunny, 80-degree spring day in South Bend. The group then headed over to Notre Dame Stadium for the scrimmage and went out to dinner afterward with some of the coaches. It was an invaluable experience for Reader to get to know everyone. Prior to the trip, he had not met some of his classmates due to a late commitment.
“They hit a home run with that for sure,” Reader said. “Both my Dad and I walked away from the weekend very impressed.”
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On the topic of invaluable experiences, the Florida native was floored by a particular personal moment he had on campus during his trip: the senior was able to make a visit over to The Grotto at night. The quiet prayer spot, located behind the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, is often hectic during game weekends. Reader was able to take it in during a more serene time.
“That was a surreal moment,” he said. “I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life. It was probably the most peaceful thing I’ve ever seen.”
After the visit, Reader hopped on a plane and headed back to the hectic time that is the end of senior year. He has just over a month until he makes Notre Dame his next home, as his move-in date is set for June 10. Until then, he will continue to dream about what’s in front of him, including the doors that are set to open.
“It’s a special place, and I think everyone who has been there knows that,” Reader said. “There’s nothing like it out there.”
