“A dream come true”: James Flanigan scores first TD at Lambeau Field

GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — James Flanigan dreamed of playing at Lambeau Field.

On Sunday, the Green Bay native did more than that. He scored his first career touchdown there.

Flanigan caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, giving the Fighting Irish their first touchdown of the game against Wisconsin.

Watching from the stands were his parents, who had spent the days leading up to the game preparing for a homecoming years in the making.

“We’re just super proud of him and almost kind of speechless,” his father, Jim Flanigan Jr., said. “I thought there was a chance he might get a ball if they got in the red zone, and to have it happen so early in the game was pretty cool.”

For his mother, the moment came with a little more disbelief.

“I was freaking out,” she said. “I kept asking, ‘Did he catch it?’”

The touchdown carried extra meaning for a family with deep ties to both Notre Dame and the Packers.

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr said he was especially happy to see Flanigan score in his hometown.

“That was super cool, super cool,” Carr said. “He said he did his dad’s touchdown celebration too, which is a little fist pump too. So the boys were pumped about that and really cool to see him come home and end up having a touchdown.”

Flanigan’s father played defensive tackle at Notre Dame before a 10-year NFL career that included a season with Green Bay. His grandfather, Jim Flanigan Sr., was a rookie on the Packers’ 1967 championship team and played in the Ice Bowl. He died in December 2025 at age 80.

For the family, seeing James find the end zone at Lambeau was a moment that brought those connections together.

“It was a dream come true for him and for us and for the family,” his mother said.

His father called it a full-circle moment.

“For James to catch his first touchdown, first collegiate touchdown in Lambeau Field, the odds of that are pretty incredibly slim," Jim Flanigan Jr. said.

Flanigan said he planned to embrace the moment before the game, then shift his focus once it was time to play.

His plan was to take in pregame warmups, see his family and wave to them before turning his attention to football.

“Once we run out of the tunnel after warmups, it’s all business from there,” Flanigan said. “After the first play I really just tend to lock in and focus on playing football.”

That focus didn’t keep him from appreciating what happened when he scored.

Flanigan said he had planned the touchdown celebration after seeing a highlight of his father doing the same fist pump during his playing days.

“I used to make fun of him for doing it,” Flanigan said. “But now it’s kind of become my thing, I guess.”

And doing it at Lambeau made the moment even more meaningful.

“It was awesome,” Flanigan said. “There’s three generations of Flanigans have been on that field and made some plays, and that’s really special.”

Flanigan grew up about 10 minutes from Lambeau Field and attended Packers games as a child. He went to Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay before following in his father’s footsteps and committing to Notre Dame.

The touchdown came with a large contingent of family and friends in the stands.

“It’s just special looking out there and seeing them in the crowd,” Flanigan said. “I’m so thankful to my family and my friends to make it to the game.”

The family has another Notre Dame connection on the way. Flanigan’s younger brother attends Notre Dame Academy and is committed to play football for the Fighting Irish.

For James Flanigan, his homecoming to Lambeau Field became more than a chance to play in the stadium where he grew up watching football.

He added his own chapter to three generations of Flanigans who have made memories on the field.