Mike Lafleur, Cardinals Land Jeremiyah Love After Draft Day Surge
Mike Lafleur had plenty to like as the Cardinals made their move for Jeremiyah Love, the running back who arrived in Pittsburgh with confidence, calm and a sharply personal draft-night story. On Thursday, Love was selected with the No. 3 pick, capping a 24-hour stretch that began with a football clinic and ended with his name being called on the NFL stage. The moment carried extra meaning for Love, who said he spent the lead-up staying in the moment and taking in everything around him.
The selection came after a day that Love described as one he would only get to experience once in his life. In Pittsburgh, the sun was shining over the football field as 17 NFL draft prospects hosted a clinic with athletes from Special Olympics, and Love said that was the point when it really hit him that the draft was only hours away. He had already spent months working on the suit he wore for the occasion, with help from his girlfriend and a clothing designer.
Love’s draft-night suit also reflected the other part of his life that matters deeply to him: comics and anime. He opened the chocolate-colored jacket to reveal a collage of Notre Dame photos on one side and a Jeremonstar design on the other, tying the moment to the superhero alter ego he and his father, Jason, began building five years ago. The first issue of Jeremonstar Comics launched in September, and Love said the suit was meant to represent that community and that part of himself.
Mike Lafleur Sees a Complete Back
The Cardinals did not just draft a runner with burst. They added a player whose production at Notre Dame made the pick stand out immediately. Love finished his college career with 2, 882 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns in 41 games, while also adding 63 receptions for 594 yards and six touchdowns in the passing game.
Mike Lafleur pointed to Love’s work as a pass blocker as one reason the Cardinals felt comfortable investing so heavily in him. Lafleur said the explosive traits are obvious, but added that he did not see weaknesses in any phase and believed Love can be used in different situations. That view helped push Love into rare territory as the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
Mike Lafleur and the Cardinals’ Draft Bet
Love said he had no nerves during the draft process and described himself as staying balanced and cool throughout. He said the experience was cool and that he had been making the best of a moment that only comes once.
For the Cardinals, the pick signals a clear belief in the combination of skill, poise and versatility they saw on display. For Love, it tied together football, family and a creative identity that has been part of his life for years. As he steps into the next phase with the Cardinals, Mike Lafleur and the team will now begin turning that draft-day promise into an on-field role.
