Brandon Wimbush’s Selflessness Provides Vital Spark At Notre Dame
The text message from Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees to senior backup Brandon Wimbush last Monday was as succinct as possible: “I need to see you ASAP!”
“I was in class and I was like, ‘This can’t be good,’” Wimbush recalled.
Once Wimbush arrived in Rees office — following class, of course — the news was relayed that junior starter Ian Book likely would be unavailable to play in the home finale versus Florida State, and that Wimbush needed to prepare for his 16th career start.
Seven weeks earlier in a different emotional meeting with the coaches on offense, Wimbush was informed that after 15 career starts, a significant reversal in the program’s trend (from 4-8 in 2016 to 10-3 in 2017), setting some individual school records in production, earning the game ball in a 24-17 victory versus now No. 4 Michigan in the 2018 opener, and a 3-0 start to the season, the operation had to go in a different direction at quarterback if it was to attain College Football Playoff contender status.
“No matter what sport, if you’re a competitor, you don’t want someone to take your place,” Wimbush said of the initial jolt of shock he felt that initially left him speechless upon receiving the news. “It was tough. You don’t expect something like that.”
“We've all had those tough conversations in one way or the other,” head coach Brian Kelly recalled earlier last week. “The first one is pretty short and to the point — it’s the follow-up questions that usually occur after. You have to stay in constant communication.
“… He's been a great teammate to Ian Book, quite frankly. He's been as supportive as any player on our team that I've ever coached. He's been there for him in the locker room at halftime. The first one that sits down with him and talks him through what's going on, what we need to do, is Brandon Wimbush.
“He’s been such a big part of our success this year. He's got to stay ready. Who knows what happens, right? Every week we remind him. He knows that he’s one step away from going back out on the field.”
That step occurred this past Saturday, fittingly on Senior Day. Upon his final introduction with his classmates at home, Wimbush entered from the tunnel with arms flailing in a windmill motion, quite a contrast to what has been mostly an even-keel, sedate disposition throughout his career.
“It’s really emotional,” Wimbush said following the 42-13 rout of the Seminoles in which the Irish built a 32-6 halftime advantage. “The six weeks were tough, but they were inspiring. They did something to me and it allowed me to work through adversity and give me a different perspective. I was going to support the team however I could and come out here today, and obviously the emotion showed.
“Ian was right next to me. He sat with me the entire week and nothing changed. It was an easy week.”
Part of the perspective Wimbush gained was that when evaluating it objectively, the coaches did what was best for the overall good of the team — and he didn’t want to be “that guy” who divided the locker room.
“It proved to benefit the team, we started rolling a little bit more on the offensive side of the ball and it’s a testament to Ian and all the guys who put in the work,” Wimbush said. “You keep moving from there.”
In the season opener versus Michigan, with a mostly unproven running back and receiving corps, the onus was on Wimbush to be the playmaker, and he responded with a strong performance against what is now ranked the nation’s top defense. Since then, the return of senior running back Dexter Williams in game five and the progress of the receiving corps has grown.
“That’s a testament to Ian, too — to make these guys confident,” Wimbush said. “ I don’t think I came in back to a better offense; I think I came back to an offense that was here, but these guys, you have 10 weeks under your belt, things are just rolling. Obviously it’s great to have Dexter back.”
Wimbush said he also recognized after the demotion that his actions would be under more scrutiny, and how he handled this setback would be a character test on how he would react in the future when inevitable trials arise.
“I’m not a selfish person, so I think whatever it took for me to benefit the team and help the team out in any way to get us to where we are today, that’s what I wanted to do,” Wimbush said. “I didn’t want to be that negative little thing in the team, in the locker room that was pouting. I wanted to keep the spirits high.”
Teammates notice such traits.
“He is the most selfless person, just an incredible teammate,” senior wideout Chris Finke said. “He has never once complained. Obviously no one wants that to happen to them and you know what he’s going through, but he won’t tell you.
“He’s such a good friend of Ian, there hasn’t been any bad blood between them at all, and I think that everybody seeing that keeps us together.”
“A bunch of kids on this team have said, ‘Brandon is handling this really well,’” said senior wide receiver Miles Boykin. “I don’t know too many kids who could handle this well … Brandon is too dedicated to his teammates.”
“It's easy to lose your edge when you're not starting,” Kelly said. “He’s fought that, so he’s just been a great teammate and he's kept himself prepared. You could tell this is the right kind of player that can handle this situation.”
However, Wimbush said a moment like this past Saturday — and maybe beyond — was something he projected to happen all along.
“For one guy that’s a quarterback … it’s tough for that person to last through an entire season, regardless of the situation,” Wimbush said. “I knew I was going to get my opportunity. That’s why I took the six weeks as seriously as I did preparing myself, and I think I had the best week of practice that I had last week since I’ve been here.”
Six years ago, it was Rees during a 12-0 regular season run who was the consummate good teammate at quarterback. He had started the final 12 games in 2011, was supplanted at the start of 2012 by sophomore Everett Golson, but still was the best relief man in college football, four times helping the team to victory while helping the Irish earn a berth to the BCS National Championship Game.
“That guy has been through everything you can imagine at the quarterback position,” Wimbush said in praise of Rees’ mentorship. “He’s led me and he’s helped the entire quarterback room, being that young figure who’s been here not too long ago.
“So he has the experience and the knowledge and the wisdom to teach us. He’s done a great job of putting us in a position to succeed on and off the field.”
The bond with Book also helps
“We support each other,” Wimbush said. “We know there’s more to life than football, so I think that’s a huge spark between the two of us. We have similar interests… we keep going from there.”
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