Riley Leonard Not Taking Notre Dame Experience For Granted
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Riley Leonard made sure to credit Jesus Christ with when asked about his recent string of success, but the Notre Dame quarterback also credited his teammates, coaches and “everybody who has been around me.”
Leonard also included many who may not be around him every day, but are really the only ones who truly know what he’s going through this season; former Notre Dame quarterbacks.
“Guys like Sam Hartman who gave me a call and really spoke to me about the opportunities that we have being quarterbacks at Notre Dame,” Leonard said following the Irish’s win over Navy at MetLife here on Saturday.
“You look at Tyler Buchner who came back here; going out to eat with him and having his perspective on everything really helped me out a lot. He doesn't get enough credit. I mean, he puts so much into this program now, and it's really been a big help to me.”
The chats have extended beyond his immediate predecessor and current teammate, although Leonard didn’t want to risk leaving anybody out.
Peppered with names like Ian Book, Tommy Rees and Brady Quinn, Leonard tried his best to keep up with a rapid series of acknowledgements.
“I've probably talked to maybe five now throughout my time being here,” said Leonard, who arrived in South Bend from Duke in January. “It's awesome. Every single one of them has brought me down to earth.”
Leonard thought he had an idea of what he was signing up for, but quarterbacking the Irish is one of those positions that you cannot adequately prepare for in advance. Although, Leonard has since settled in to appreciate the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Everybody thinks of Notre Dame as just this powerhouse,” he said. “I was a little overwhelmed whenever I first committed, but then once you get in here and start meeting these guys, they're just normal dudes just like me.”
The advice from the former Irish signal-callers has been consistent.
“Every single one of them just told me, 'Don't take it for granted and don't have any regrets,'” Leonard recalled. “I talk about it a lot, but I think regret only comes from missed opportunities, not failed opportunities. If you want to throw it and you don't throw it and let it rip, you're going to regret that. But if you throw it and something bad happens, it is what it is. At least you gave it a shot and every single one of them told me that along the lines and really to just find myself, find my peace.”
It’s been an up-and-down season for Leonard with more ups than downs of late, but Leonard isn’t going to let the ups or the downs define him during his time in South Bend.
“It's a huge honor to put on this Blue and Gold. Every day I wake up, I really live by that. Whether things go great, things go bad, I'm waking up every day and I'm not taking that for granted.”
Columbia Navy/Green Notre Dame Fighting Irish Flanker III Fleece Team Full-Zip Jacket
