Episode 120 Ned Bolcar Notre Dame Football Two Time Captain/ NFL Linebacker

Welcome back to another episode of the RU Strong Podcast.

Today, we’re joined by a New Jersey homegrown legend, Ned Bolcar.

Out of Phillipsburg High School, Ned was a USA Today High School All-American, the 1985 National High School Player of the Year, and one of the most heavily recruited athletes in the country

He took his talents to the University of Notre Dame, where he became:

🏆 A National Champion

🏆 A Two-Time All-American

🏆 A Two-Time Team Captain

🏆 Maxwell Spirit of Notre Dame Award Winner

🏆 CBS Defensive Player of the Year

🏆 Fiesta Bowl All-American

Then came the NFL, drafted in 1990, playing for the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins

But what makes this episode powerful isn’t just the accolades.

It’s the mindset.

Ned talks about:

• The difference between recruiting “back then” and today’s NIL era

• The emotional high of competition, a feeling he says can’t be replicated anywhere else

• The humility that comes from playing against great players and great teams

• The moment his father told him it was time to walk away from the game

• Transitioning from the NFL to Wall Street

• Reinventing himself again as an entrepreneur

• And what it truly means to compete, lead, and stay grounded

He shares something profound in this episode:

“I feared losing more than I enjoyed winning.”

This conversation is about:

🔥 The high of the game

🔥 The pain of transition

🔥 The discipline of reinvention

🔥 And the lifelong impact of great parents, great coaches, and great teammates

From Phillipsburg to Notre Dame.

From Lou Holtz to Don Shula.

From NFL locker rooms to Wall Street trading floors.

Ned Bolcar’s journey defines what it means to be RU Strong.