Is there a part of your own body you'd wear as jewelry?

It sounds like a strange question, but oddly enough, it seems to be a valid one after what I saw on College Game Day this past weekend. And this revolves the Fighting Irish's latest addition out of South Carolina - Quarterback Sam Hartman, and a necklace made with an actual piece of his own rib.

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Hartman's Rib Removal

In 2022, while Hartman was at Wake Forest, he was diagnosed with a disease called "Paget-Schroetter Syndrome." The disease causes blood clots deep in the veins of the arms, and typically occur in the axillary, or subclavian veins. Those veins are typically found on the outer border of the first rib on the scalene muscle... or essentially, the first rib closest to the collar bone.

In order to reduce blood clots, doctors recommended removing that part of his rib. The surgery was a success, but he had one request after the fact... Hartman wanted to keep it.

"The rib is in my fridge... it's well on tis way to becoming a necklace... we're a couple weeks out just want to make sure it stays in one piece 'til then."

After last season, Sam transferred to Notre Dame, and has since returned to football form (clearly, considering his performance the past two weeks.) But leading up to the season, the rib moved from his own fridge to his parents' while he got settled in at South Bend.

The Necklace

It was always Sam's intent to turn the rib into a necklace, but because he was so busy with football, and rehabilitation, he never did it.

But his mother just happens to be a retired nurse, and apparently very crafty.

She took the proper steps to eliminate any biohazard and health issues with the bone, soaking it in multiple chemicals to strip it right down to just the bone.

Youtube/College Game Day

"It's not anything to me that seems strange, really."

Then, she went to work to turn it into a Pooka shell necklace. And in place of what would normally be a shark's tooth, or arrowhead, is a piece of Sam's own rib... which he can now wear around his own neck... only about 5 inches from where it formerly was inside of his body.

He debuted it just in time for the Irish's season debut in Ireland two weeks ago.

"It's gonna be something that has a special place, and a special case, because it is a one-of-one."

And hopefully it stays that way. As weird as it is, it's also kind badass.

Here's Why The Big Ten Doesn't Need Notre Dame

Notre Dame will reportedly remain independent in football for the foreseeable future thanks to an impending new TV deal with NBC that pays significantly more.

Despite how it may appear, it's not a particularly crushing blow to the Big Ten to be rejected by Notre Dame yet again. In fact, in a relatively short amount of time roles may reverse — it could be Notre Dame who needs the Big Ten.