A Look At Marcus Freeman With Notre Dame One Win From A Championship

Marcus Freeman was an All-Big Ten linebacker selection as a junior and senior at Ohio State. After a brief NFL career, he entered the college coaching ranks in 2010 as a graduate assistant for his alma mater. Fourteen years later, he's on the cusp of making history - at the expense of his former team. We'll look at his rookie cards as a Chicago Bear and some from his days at Ohio State.

Jan 19, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman during College Football Playoff National Championship press conference at The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Savannah Ballroom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Marcus Freeman had a stellar career at Ohio State, earning All-Big Ten selections as a linebacker and helping lead the Buckeyes to the 2006 and 2007 BCS Championship Games. Freeman's play got him drafted in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.

(EDITORS NOTE: caption correction) Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman leads the team onto the field before the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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However, Freeman never played in a regular-season game and was forced to retire because of an enlarged heart condition. With his pro career over, Freeman entered the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant at Ohio State. He then had stops at Akron, Purdue, Cincinnati, and then Notre Dame, where he became head coach after serving as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Freeman has a chance at making history by becoming the first head coach of African-American descent to win a national championship at the FBS level and leading Notre Dame to its first national title since 1988 - the school's longest drought without a title since claiming its first in 1924.

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(NCL_OSUFOOTBALL10_LAURON 9AUG07) Ohio State football players James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman, 1, , right, pose for Laurinaitis' father, Joe, for the 2007-08 team photo during picture day at the Ohio Stadium, August 9, 2007. (Dispatch photo by Neal C. Lauron) | NEAL C. LAURON / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite never playing in an NFL regular-season game, Freeman had rookie cards produced as a draftee. He also had several cards produced in his Buckeyes uniform. We'll look at some of his cards and what they're worth.

1. 2009 Upper Deck #223 Star Rookie

Image Courtesy of COMC

Freeman's rookie Upper Deck card sells for $2 - $3. The image shows his name written on athletic tape affixed to the front of his helmet. It's a nice horizontal image of the then-rookie linebacker.

2. 2009 Topps Gold /2009

Image Courtesy of COMC

The image on the Topps card is the same as on the Upper Deck card. Freeman's arms are cropped in the Topps image, giving a closer look at his face and frame. The picture above is a Gold version of the base card, numbered to 2009. It sells for about $10. There are various versions of this card that sell for varying prices. A refractor recently sold for $5, and a red version numbered to 25 sold for $60.

3. 2009 Donruss Threads /999

Image Courtesy of COMC

The base of the card is numbered to 999. It sells for about $4 - $6. There is a short-printed version out there numbered to 100 that recently sold for $10 on eBay.

4. 2009 Bowman Sterling /799

Image Courtesy of COMC

The base version of Bowman Sterling is numbered to 799. It shows Freeman in a portrait, 15 years before leading Notre Dame to the national championship game. The most recent sale was for $22, and the one prior was for $11. This card has different versions that sell for varying prices depending on its rarity.

5. 2009 Upper Deck Draft Autograph #63

Image Courtesy of eBay

There are several Freeman autographs in an Ohio State uniform in the market. This card consistently sells in the $45 - $50 range. It could increase if he leads the Irish to their first national title in over 35 years.

6. 2009 Sage Hit Autograph

Image Courtesy of eBay

SAGE has several products with autographs from college athletes. They deliver a reliable product, and this card is no different. Freeman's SAGE cards were going for about $25 in early December. They have gone up ever since the Irish made the championship game.

His cards are rising in price now that he has the Fighting Irish on the cusp of a coveted national title. There are several more cards of him from his days at Ohio State, and one would expect that the market for his cards would cool if the Irish fall to the Buckeyes. However, Freeman appears to have a bright future at Notre Dame. He has injected new energy into the football program following a few disappointing seasons under the leadership of Brian Kelly.