A two-time Notre Dame captain nicknamed for his leadership, JD Bertrand came home to Georgia when the Falcons drafted him in 2024 and has steadily grown into a rotational linebacker.
Bertrand led Notre Dame in tackles for three straight seasons and wore the captain's patch twice before Atlanta drafted him in the fifth round. A Roswell, Georgia native, he has spent his first two pro seasons building special-teams and rotational value for his hometown team.
Path to the league
Bertrand starred at Blessed Trinity High School before playing five seasons at Notre Dame from 2019 to 2023, where he finished with 266 tackles across 50 games. The Atlanta Falcons selected him in the fifth round, 143rd overall, in the 2024 NFL Draft, sending the Georgia native back to play in his home state.
Career highlights
Bertrand was named a Notre Dame team captain for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons and led the Irish defense with 101 tackles as a junior in 2021. He led the Notre Dame defense in tackles for three consecutive seasons, finishing his college career with 23 tackles for loss.
2025 season recap
Bertrand built on a modest rookie season, appearing in 15 games for Atlanta in 2025 with two starts and totaling 35 tackles and two pass deflections. He has settled into a role as a core special-teams contributor while continuing to push for more defensive snaps.
Sources
- Wikipedia: JD Bertrand
- Pro Football Reference: JD Bertrand
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
15 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | falcons | 15 | 35 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 | falcons | 12 | 23 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Notre Dame
- Hometown
- Alpharetta, GA, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
