Courtesy of Jeremiyah LoveA full twenty-four hours before the NFL Draft unfolds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 20-year-old prospect Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame tells me about his biggest anime obsession. "Have you watched That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime?" he asks me over Zoom. I tell him I haven't. "You need to watch that," he says, "That's a really good anime."

The show, in case you haven't seen it either, is about a Tokyo salaryman who reawakens in a parallel world of monsters and magic… as a blob of goo. It's got a presumptive top-five draft pick for the National Football League hooked, and it's how he's spending his time kicking back before he, like a Tokyo salaryman, steps into a new world forever. "I haven't been nervous," Love tells me. "Maybe it'll kick in tomorrow. It's a surreal feeling, I made it here. But at the same time, I'm chill."

Anime is full of underdog protagonists who fight to surpass their limits—the physical, mental, even spiritual—to achieve victory. That may be why anime hits hardest with athletes, who feel like the heroes of their own sagas. And the Heisman candidate from Notre Dame, who ran for a whopping 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, is certainly a superpowered individual. But for Love, who has a chance to become the first running back to be selected in the top five since Saquon Barkley in 2018, his love for anime will run deeper than most as he brings his story into the NFL. Literally.

In partnership with his father Jason Love (a lifelong Marvel and DC fan), creative agency Limited Edition, suit maker Pantheon Limited, and help from Sharpie, Love will wear to the NFL Draft a custom suit lined with original art of "Jeremonstar"—Love's superhero alter ego inspired by Japanese manga. The artwork is done by artist Ryan Odagawa using Sharpie S-Gel Pen and Ultra Fine Point permanent marker.

"It means a lot," Love says. "I get to express myself in a way that's authentic. I love anime, I love comics. Sharpie helped bring that side into my jacket, which is beautiful. I feel like a superhero."

Jeremonstar is not just a character. It's also not just a comic book, which is available now. It is the anchor to a new universe the Loves hope more athletes will tap into to tell their own stories. "My plan is to take [Jeremonstar] throughout the rest of my career," Love says. "Jeremonstar is my story being told—that's all it is. Whenever my story ends, Jeremonstar will end. But Jeremonstar is not just a comic, it's a universe. We plan to not only tell my story but create a universe for athletes to tell theirs. The best athletes should have a way to tell their story. Hopefully we can get more to join the universe." The endgame is not to stage a crossover of epic proportions (yet) but to inspire other people "to be better versions of themselves through their storytelling," explains Love.

Jeremonstar already reflects the kind of professional athlete Love wants to be in the NFL. "Jeremonstar is selfless, on the field and off the field," he says. "A message in the comic is a message of selflessness. Everything is not always about you. You're not always going to be the star. Sometimes you have to play a role—somebody's going to take the star role and it's not necessarily you. You gotta be selfless and you gotta be grateful."

It shouldn't surprise anyone to know that athletes like Love are obsessed with anime. After millennials adopted the Japanese medium in the '90s through cable, Gen Z absorbed it into their being with its ubiquity on Internet streaming. That's how Love became a superfan, in fact. "When I was six, I found anime on Netflix. It was either Naruto or Seven Deadly Sins," he says. "I fell in love. It's been a crucial part of my life."

Past his gridiron ability—his blistering 4.36-second 40-yard dash time speaks for itself—Love is known for his stand-up, team-first character. He learned much of that through anime. "What resonates with me is the storytelling," Love says. "The grit of anime characters—their principles, doing the right thing at all times. That's what sticks with me. From Naruto, [I learned to] never give up. As you start something, finish it. Don't give up until you reach your goal."

Love admits he's felt doubts on his journey to the NFL. "But throughout those dark times, I just keep showing up. I keep going," he says. He asks me if I've seen Attack on Titan. I have, but not the final season. "I won't spoil it for you then," he says, "but Eren from Attack on Titan would say the same thing. Eren would say, By any means necessary, finish it."

Finally, I swap anime recs with Love. I suggest The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World, about a Power Ranger who gets flung far away to a strange medieval kingdom. Love says he's seen it on TikTok and promises me to watch it. At some point. "I'll watch some of that once I get downtime," he says. "I ain't had no downtime while I've been here."

I hate to say it, but whether Love packs his bags for Arizona, Tennessee, or even New York, I suspect his schedule isn’t clearing up any time soon.