Drew Pyne Says Thanks

Last month, we heard from multiple members of the New Canaan High School community about their experiences with Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne‍, who recently enrolled in South Bend.

The comments from teachers and the Rams’ athletic director were overwhelmingly positive and we wanted to give Pyne a chance to respond to what they had to say.

Pyne said teachers like Sean Killelea and Ellen Fitzpatrick “100 percent” helped him feel welcomed into the New Canaan community.

“Being able to come in class and know that the most mature person in the room is supporting me and believing in me is something that really makes me comfortable throughout the day,” Pyne told Irish Sports Daily.

“I’m a pretty strong-minded kid. I don’t really let anything affect me, however, when you have someone believing in you, especially someone like a teacher, it’s definitely something you take forward. It’s really special to me. I’m very thankful for those people.”

Teachers like Killelea and Fitzpatrick along with athletic director Jay Egan, head coach Lou Marinelli, his teammates and the rest of the New Canaan community gave Pyne motivation in the face of unwarranted criticism.

“A lot of people will doubt you, but I don’t play for that,” said Pyne. “I play for the people who believe in me, my family and those teachers and people who have helped me throughout my whole life. Being able to have them say nice stuff about me and being able to have great relationships with them for the rest of my life is really special to me.

“Being able to come to school the following Monday after a game and see Ms. Fitzpatrick and her knowing everything about the game and being all caught up, that’s just awesome. Coach Killa would always be on top of it and know everything about me. To make those people proud really meant a lot to me.

“I’m very excited for the future and to continue to make them proud.”