Jon Bon Jovi gives Notre Dame players a pep talk: “Thank your parents”

Jon Bon Jovi and football have long gone hand in hand: He once owned Arena Football League champions Philadelphia Soul; he and others unsuccessfully tried to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014; and he’s also a pal of Patriots owner Robert Kraft. So maybe it wasn’t so odd that he was seen at Notre Dame football training camp Sunday giving the first team a pep talk.

Jon, whose son Jesse Bongiovi once played for the Irish, gave the team some good advice, reports Notre Dame Insider. Senior lineback Jack Kiser told the publication, “Him being a Notre Dame parent, the first thing he said was, ‘Thank your parents.’ But then he just talked about, ‘Live in the moment. Don’t take this for granted. So, just enjoy every day, and the dog days of camp are not too bad.’”

Kiser also said that Jon reminded the players that never again will they “be around a group of 100 … guys that we consider our brothers, our closest friends.” Jesse, who was also there, echoed what his dad said and told the players, “Just keep those relationships going,” according to Kiser.

Jon also made a cameo in the video the team tweeted out, featuring the team attempting to sing “Livin’ on a Prayer.”