Cowboys rookie ready for NFL debut by embracing the hate from college

Dallas Cowboys rookie linebacker Marist Liufau is ready to make his NFL debut on the road after learning to embrace the hate from his time at Notre Dame.

Jun 4, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau (35) goes through drills during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Marist Liufau was one of the Dallas Cowboys' third-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After an impressive offseason of work and continuing to stand out in training camp and the preseason, the rookie linebacker was named a starter on the team's first unofficial depth chart of the regular season.

Liufau will begin his NFL career on the road and knows that he will be entering hostile territory in The Land with the Cleveland Browns' Dawg Pound ready to heckle America's Team.

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But it's nothing new for Liufau, who played college football for another hated program, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Liufau is embracing the hate and it has allowed him to keep a clear mind as he prepares for Week 1.

"You either love Notre Dame or you hate them, so everywhere we go on the road, everyone hates us," Liufau told reporters following practice this week, according to DallasCowboys.com "That’s helped me to grow as a player and kind of handle those environments and sort it out.

Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Marist Liufau (8) signals to his teammates in the second quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

"I really just take every day and treat it like it’s game day, so that when I get to the actual environment, it’s really easy."

That's spoken like a battle-tested vet.

Liufau has played against Michigan at The Big House, in Clemson's Death Valley, against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, and at the LA Memorial Coliseum against USC, so suiting up against the Browns at Huntington Bank Field will be a cake walk.

Everyone will be hoping the rookie can put on a show.

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