Notre Dame athletes helped after Alabama tornado

"I told them about my days at Notre Dame and how much I loved my time there ... and how much it meant to me personally that they chose to come here to support Tuscaloosa and the university community after the tragic tornado came through," Moore said Friday. "I thanked them for that, and we had a good visit, made a bunch of pictures and had a good time. It was very inspiring to me that they chose to come down and give several days of their time to the community here."

Smith, meanwhile, said she was taken aback by the southern hospitality. They got a few cultural lessons on things like the meaning of "Roll Tide" and the houndstooth gear popularized by iconic Tide coach Bear Bryant.

"It was just so cool to share some time together," Smith said. "I definitely have a soft spot for Alabama.

"Any time humans are being kind and caring for one another and have that kind of spirit of hospitality, how can you not respect that?"