The story I've heard is, where he's grown up in PA, you're either a Notre Dame fan, or a Penn State fan. Word is that his family tree is littered with Irish fans, so most ND followers feel the Irish have a definite inside track.
Lord knows after this year we could point to our game footage and say, "Look at that line, and tell me there aren't playing time opportunities..."
FYI, I'm kinda surprised nobody has made the connection between his hometown and a certain show on NBC...