Why Riley Leonard's Mom Texts Him 'You Suck' Before Every Notre Dame Game

Before Riley Leonard and Notre Dame kick off against Penn State at the Orange Bowl on Thursday night, he'll get a text from his mother Heather that appears harsh... at least, on the surface.

"My mom, before every football game, texts me, 'You suck,'" Leonard said in an ESPN video. "It started in high school, I was tired of everybody telling me how good I was all the time. I needed someone to tell me I suck every once in a while to give me some motivation."

Leonard was an All-State quarterback for Fairhope High School (Ala.) as well as a basketball and track star. Clearly, the texts worked.

"It lets him know, as much as I'm telling him, 'You suck,' I'm also kinda telling him that I love you and I'm behind you and I'm supporting you," Heather Leonard said of the texts.

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Leonard began his college career at Duke, helping elevate the Blue Devils into a competitive ACC squad before transferring to Notre Dame to finish his college career. Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman says the "You suck" texts remind him of the competitor that he brought in to lead his program.

"When I heard that it's a reminder to me of why he's so competitive," Freeman said. "And whatever it is that she's doing and whatever that text means to him, it's getting him to play at a high level."

Leonard previously revealed the tradition in a College GameDay feature from his time at Duke.