Immanuel Blackstone took a somewhat unconventional road to college and then, of course, eventually professional football. Because Blackstone was raised in a very conservative family, he was home schooled for the majority of his pre-college years. However, luckily for him, his parents were able to recognize the deep potential he possessed for athletic competition. As a result, after many meetings with school boards, both private and public, Blackstone was permitted to play sports with a local private school provided that he enroll in at least two classes with the school throughout the academic year. At first, he played three sports, but by his junior year he began to attract the attention of college scouts and as a result had the good sense to focus only on football.
Blackstone was largely recruited by Big 10 teams including Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin. However, Blackstone eventually decided upon Notre Dame for the school's reputation for academic excellence and religious conservatism. While at Notre Dame, Blackstone started in the majority of the games in his first two years, but missed a couple of games due to injury. By the middle of his second season he was firmly entrenched as a full time starter and thereafter never missed a game.
Blackstone was largely recruited by Big 10 teams including Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin. However, Blackstone eventually decided upon Notre Dame for the school's reputation for academic excellence and religious conservatism. While at Notre Dame, Blackstone started in the majority of the games in his first two years, but missed a couple of games due to injury. By the middle of his second season he was firmly entrenched as a full time starter and thereafter never missed a game.