(WSBT) Last fall he was catching 45 yard touchdown passes on the gridiron for the Notre Dame and then, just months later, he was on the mound for the Chicago Cubs staring down Barry Bonds.

It’s safe to say that former Irish star Jeff Samardzija has made some pretty big changes lately.

"I didn't really know what to expect once everyone splits up and goes and does their own thing," said Samardzija. “I was very happy with how it went, and I couldn't be happier to be part of an organization that is doing the right things, and taking care of their players and things like that. It's gone very well, and they're excited and I'm excited about what's going to happen next year."

After going 3-8 with a 4.95 earned-run average at Class A Daytona, Samardzija was promoted to Double-A Tennessee Smokies. There he went 3-3 with a 3.41 ERA, helping them reach the Southern League playoffs. He got a lot of support from Notre Dame Fans along the way!

“Yeah they're everywhere, and you'd even be surprised how many there are in Volunteer country!” he told WSBT News. “We were Sevierville which is only about 20 or 30 minutes away from Knoxville, and there was a lot of Notre Dame fans, which is always exciting."

Even with his new job, Samardzija still keeps in touch with the guys back in South Bend.

"It's good to see that they're still in good spirits, and most importantly that they're still playing hard," he said. "They're loving what they're doing, they're playing for Coach Weis, and that's all you can ask."