Drue Tranquill Following His Heart Back To Notre Dame
Notre Dame linebacker Drue Tranquill was in the air about coming back for his fifth year, heading to the NFL or the workforce.
The Echoes football banquet was the opportunity Tranquill took to announce his decision to return to Notre Dame standing in the front of his entire team and the Notre Dame coaching staff.
"I wanted to tell them all at once,” stated Tranquill. “ I didn’t want someone to go ‘Oh, you didn’t tell me.’ It was nice to have them all there as well as the coaches.
"No one knew. I didn’t want it to be told to someone and someone not told. I owed it everyone to tell them at the same time. I told my parents at Corndance that I was going to come back for my fifth year. They were like ‘Oh, you are?’”
The decision to return to Notre Dame was made on Thursday, and it’s one Tranquill, and his fiancé didn’t take lightly.
“I came into the year thinking I was going to declare” explained Tranquill. “Getting married and everything, it seemed like the best decision.
“I was on the phone with my fiancé, and we decided that was going to be best for us. We started talking through how we’re going to plan us doing her Master’s and stuff in South Bend. She’ll go to school somewhere around here. She’s going to get her R.D., and some of the school around here have her program.”
Most thought Tranquill wouldn’t return for his final season, as he had already been through two knee surgeries and had little to prove on the field. However, Tranquill felt he had more to accomplish after missing out on the College Football Playoff this season.
“It's in my heart to come back, and it’s what I believed,” explained Tranquill. “I’ve always followed my heart and what I believe. It started after the Miami game on the buses realizing we weren’t going to make the Playoffs and realizing everything had put into this thing.
“I felt in my heart I owed it to this team to finish what we started. Nothing is guaranteed, and we have a lot of work in front of us, but I’m excited about the opportunity.”
The Fort Wayne (Ind.) native hopes he isn’t the only that decides to come back to Notre Dame, but don’t expect Tranquill to be giving recruiting pitches over the next month.
“We have a lot of great guys,” stated Tranquill. “I’m hoping Jerry (Tillery), and Te’von (Coney) come back as well. They have to do what’s best for them.
“I’m not going to get in their ear. I owe it to them to make their own decision and support them in whatever they do. They have put their heart and soul into this program, and they don’t owe us anything. They’re incredible players, and we’d love to have them back. If you look at the guys, if they all came back, our defense is pretty stout.”
As for his academics plans, Tranquill plans to take it easy during his fifth year, as the last four years took its toll.
“I’m kind of burnt out from school,” laughed Tranquill. “Mechanical Engineering got me. I might take it easy this time around.”
Tranquill will get to take the field one last time with the guys he came in with on January 1st and don’t think the disappointment of November is hindering preparations for LSU.
“We’re preparing like it’s fall camp and we’re getting ready for Temple,” said Tranquill. “It’s a big game for us and a big opportunity.”