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Notre Dame Football

“They want to win. They want to leave a legacy.”

August 17, 2017
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Coaching changes aren’t easy on new coaches or the current players, but linebackers coach Clark Lea feels the transition to Notre Dame has been a smooth one because of his players.

“From the first day, they have defaulted to going at it 100mph,” explained Lea. “They never once balked, and I’ve never had to deal with a bad attitude. We’ve had bad days, but it’s never been because of the spirit of the unit, and that speaks to the guys I am coaching.

“They want to win. They want to leave a legacy.”

“They want to win. They want to leave a legacy.” - LB coach Clark Lea
Captain Nyles Morgan has seen his share of defensive coordinators and position coaches during his time at Notre Dame, but there wasn’t a hesitation to buy into what Lea was preaching.

The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder has done everything Lea has asked and is starting to get comfortable with Mike Elko’s scheme.

“Nyles has played a lot of football, and he’s learning the system,” Lea stated. “As he’s learned the system, he’s become comfortable, and it’s allowed him to unleash and go play. We’re asking a little bit less of him as far as all the communication and formational adjustments that may have been folded into things in the past.

“When he’s released that and is focused on his responsibility, he’s faster and had success.”

Morgan has always had a reputation of doing the little things to get better, and that’s what has impressed Lea to this point.

“He has allowed me to coach him technically and fundamentally every day,” said Lea. “He seeks feedback on performance and has bought into the techniques we teach. He’s seen success from that, and it’s fed into his performance on the field.”

Rick Kimball/ISD Drue Tranquill
Drue Tranquill is another player who has bought into the new message, and that also included a position change. The Fort Wayne (Ind.) native will no longer roam the secondary as he has moved into the box to play the Rover position.  

“He’s got an exceptional skill set for what we are asking him to do,” Lea said. “Anytime I have had a position change late like this, what I’ve found is progress continues from fall camp to the last game of the season.”

Lea knows there will be growing pains with Tranquill and his new spot, but it’s also exciting because the 6-foot-2, 231-pounder hasn’t tapped into his potential at the position.  

“Is he close to his ceiling,” stated Lea. “Probably not. Is he playing at a high level? Yes. Is he making mistakes? Certainly, but that’s part of the learning curve.

“I would expect him to continue to build through the season and be playing his best football when it matters.”

It wasn’t an impulse decision for Elko to bring Lea with him to South Bend. The two have worked together for many years, and that has allowed him to gain respect for the job Elko does on a yearly basis.  

“He’s probably as good as I have been around with respect to being demanding and not compromising standards,” explained Lea. “At times he’s emotional with the players from a standpoint of addressing issues as they present themselves. He provides the lesson that led to that interaction.

“We’re all emotional, and when you coach or play football, there are frustrations and sometimes boil over into the way we communicate. He’s a fiery guy that is competitive. You don’t have to play pickup basketball for long to know he wants to win really bad.”

Many coaches fall into that category, but the thing that separates Elko from his peers is the fact the players have always bought into the way he conducts himself.  

“A lot of guys that have that personality type don’t have the ability to step back and present it in a way the players understand it,” stated Lea. “Players buy into it because it’s not about the moment, but the teachable moment. He always circles back with a lesson involved.”

Elko might be an excellent teacher and communicator, but he’s also one of the best regarding finding ways to stop offenses.  

“In terms of the cerebral aspect of things, he is as good as I have been around from a standpoint of identifying opponent weaknesses and trying to expose them or identifying matchup issues,” Lea said. “He wants to make sure we put ourselves in the best possible situation we can be in.

All of Elko’s qualities circle back to making sure his players are confident, which allows his players to truly play for him.  

I feel like coming out of Fall Camp these kids will be setup well to understand situations and offensive mindsets,” said Lea. "They will play with confidence because they will know the call coming in will put them in the best possible situation to win.”

 
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