Drue Tranquill Embraces Change On & Off The Field

It may be the Fort Wayne, Ind. native’s fifth fall camp, but Drue Tranquill is still embracing camp as he did when he was an 18-year-old freshman arriving at Notre Dame. He just brings more wisdom and experience.

“It feels different in some regards, it feels similar in others,” expressed the seasoned linebacker. “It is funny I am turning 23 today and I am playing with guys that are 17, 18 and I am married so I feel a little old I guess, but wise in other areas. A lot of similarities, just a lot of excitement for the first game.” 

Being recently married to his high school girlfriend of five and half years is the major difference for Tranquill, but finding a balance is important for the newlyweds.

“It has been tough going from getting married, to the honeymoon phase, to fall camp and leaving my wife,” explained Tranquill. “That has been a hard transition for us, especially for her because I get to come here and play football which I love, but she is in a new area trying to make new friends and figure out work.

“It has been difficult to balance, but she has been a champ with it. Getting to move out of the dorms and go back home was nice, but there isn’t much balance in training camp. It is all in for football and as training camp settles down and you head into the season you’re able to bring things back into equilibrium.”

Through all the outside changes in his personal life, it wasn’t hard for the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder to go back and find what has made him tick all these years through a tough rigorous fall camp.

“My family makes me tick, my faith makes me tick, expanding on the family, my relationship with my wife,” Tranquill stated. “The idea that it is bigger than me on a day-to-day basis, you never know who you know who you’re affecting.

“Whether it was me going to the Dominican Republic serving kids on spring breaks and realizing how blessed I am or being around Keith Penrod who has been around our team for 38 years has battled cerebral palsy and is an inspiration to us on a day-to-day basis. Who am I to complain that my legs and body’s hurting when he is out her at 60-something-years old battling cerebral palsy cheering us on? It is just learning things like that, that give me prospective on a day-to-day basis.”

After playing Rover last year in the Irish defense, Tranquill has moved to playing Buck/Will linebacker this offseason forcing him to play more in the box. Helping his development through transition has been fellow linebacker Te’von Coney.

“Te’von is a guy I probably learned the most from over spring and fall in terms of how to play in the box,” explained the fifth-year linebacker. “My instincts are to just go and I just have tenacity to my play. He is a guy who has that, but also a finesse side to his game.

“He made so many plays last year just from being patient and seeing where the ball fit and that is something I am learning from him right now. I have seen my production skyrocket from spring ball to fall camp just from being more patient and allowing the ball to come to me rather than just going and allowing the ball spit somewhere else. He is someone I am learning from each and every day. I appreciate his game and how he can teach me, maybe he can take some things from me, but he is always a guy I am asking question to.”

Tranquill is the only player on the recent roster to play in the last Notre Dame-Michigan matchup and he is ready.

 “I watched the film on that game two nights ago in my dorm room,” said Tranquill. “I remember Elijah Shumate picking it off and taking it to the house and it not counting, but looking up at that scoreboard and it saying (37-0) and then 31-0 was electric. As a freshman it is such an honor to be out on the field with guys like Jaylon (Smith) and Sheldon (Day). I just remember the one TFL that they had down at the two-yard line and I was just running up trying to look like I was in the pile making a play, but I wasn’t in there and making a tackle with Kolin Hill on the sideline.

“It is a huge game. It is one of the best rivalries in college football and to have it back for my senior year I am pumped.”