Shane Gillis Reveals He Gave Pregame Speech To Notre Dame Before CFP Title Game

Wouldn’t it be really funny if Shane Gillis gave a pep-talk to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before the CFP National Championship Game? Turns out, that was exactly what happened.

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On the latest episode of "Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast" (in which comedian Druski made an appearance), Gillis shared that he was given the privilege of talking to Notre Dame on the morning of their game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. His father, Phil, also joined him for the moment, but Gillis wasn’t sure if he should be talking about the incident in the first place.

"I did," Gillis sheepishly admitted when asked if he gave them a pregame speech. "I met the boys in the morning, gave them a little chat… it was incredible. I think I’m not supposed to talk about it… but no, that was awesome. I got to meet Marcus Freeman before the game. [Gillis’ dad] Phil talked to him. It was nice. Phil made his way all the way back to the title after the Week 2 heart attack [following Notre Dame’s loss to Northern Illinois]. Beast."

This was a culmination of an iconic build up to the national title game, as Gillis roasted Nick Saban on live TV and appeared in a hilarious commercial for Under Armour. But this is a whole different level of support for the program.

Frankly, I couldn’t think of a more unlikely source of inspiration for a team on the verge of winning a national title. While Gillis refrained from sharing the contents of his speech, he did share that the majority of people on the roster were excited to see him. 

"I was surprised. I didn’t think they’d get as hyped," he said. "I was just going into it like, ‘no one’s going to give a f**k. This is going to be awkward.'"

Notre Dame is a program that is known for epic pregame speeches, such as Kneute Rockne’s "Win One for the Gipper" in 1928 or Lou Holtz’s speech before facing Miami in 1988. While Gillis’ might not ever reach the same level of mystique as these two (since Notre Dame lost this game), it’s nonetheless another legendary moment in the long and proud tradition of the Fighting Irish.