“Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kind, b/c you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
Shortly after his second ACL surgery within 11 months — one on his left knee in November 2014 and the other on his right last October — current Notre Dame junior safety Drue Tranquill’s Twitter account produced the above message of not self-pity but thanksgiving. When combining mind, body and spirit, not many in collegiate football can rival Tranquill.
As a 2014 freshman, he played 11 games, including three starts at safety, before tearing his left ACL near the end of the first half— yet still played on it the entire second half in a home loss to Louisville (making an interception on it, to boot).
“That's how strong he is — hamstring and quad area is so strong that he passed his ACL test,” said Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly at the time. “Then he comes in on Sunday and he's swollen … We get an MRI. He has an ACL.”
In a freakishly fast convalescence, Tranquill returned to partake in 2015 spring drills (minus contact). Then in week 3 versus defending Orange Bowl champion Georgia Tech’s vaunted triple-option, Tranquill had a dominant first half that included four solo stops, two for lost yardage, and breaking up a pass in the end zone. Alas, the latter resulted in a chest-bump celebration with linebacker Joe Schmidt that produced an awkward landing on Tranquill’s right knee, resulting in a second ACL surgery.
A couple of weeks later, Tranquill’s younger brother Justin, a freshman safety at Western Michigan, tore his left ACL — and he had been sidelined the year prior in high school with a right ACL tear. It led to some wondering whether the Tranquil genetic makeup is predisposed to such injury.
“We joke about it,” the older Tranquill said this weekend after Notre Dame's first practice. “I know my mom was always looking into that. I tore my second one, and then he tore his second one two weeks later in practice. It was a laughing phone call of, 'You’ve got to be kidding me!’ It’s something where we were able to lean on each other… it was definitely a cool thing.
“It’s over now, we’re past it and hopefully, we move forward, stay healthy and continue to push each other and be the best that we can be.”
Taking a tentative or negative approach is not in his DNA.
“I look at my life, playing football since I was five years old, I never had issues with knick-knack injuries,” Tranquill said. “I don’t see myself as an injury prone guy. It was kind of two fluke injuries where I was like, ‘Wow, this never really happened before.’ I always had the mind-set, ‘Let me get back on the field’ and my teammates were always pulling for me to make me better.
“If anything, I might be pushing it too hard to get back on the field at times. I’m really comfortable mentally … stronger than ever.”
“A true warrior knows he is fighting for something bigger than himself.”
Off the field, Tranquill joins classmate and starting center Sam Mustipher as the two lone engineer majors on the team. Tranquill’s mechanical engineering discipline this semester will include 12 credit hours in Design of Machine Elements (how to construct engines and their functionality), Fluid Dynamics (the movement of fluid through pipes), AutoCAD (drawing up parts and computers) and Fundamentals of Engineering & Business Practice, which focuses on high-level executive work that includes reading financial statements and account summaries.
“Notre Dame just does a great job of putting you in an environment to succeed,” said Tranquill of dealing with his workload. “With all the resources they have for you, the people are great at making it an enjoyable process. That’s most important.
"And then secondly, there is a lot of personal growth that has to take place in time management, your effectiveness while doing things. You have only a certain number of hours in a day … it’s really been an opportunity to get to know myself really well.”
From May 17-June 7, after the conclusion of the spring semester, Tranquill traveled to Jerusalem to take an overseas Notre Dame Theology course, “Three Faiths, Two Peoples: Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land,” which included tours of the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth and Bethlehem. While his body and mind helped lead him to Notre Dame, it is his spirit that is the foremost bedrock of his life, which is why dealing with personal setbacks the past two years have kept him grounded.
“It’s my faith in my Lord Savior Jesus Christ,” Tranquill said. “It’s just a perspective in life. I have the opportunity to come back and enjoy this great game of football, whereas a lot of people sometimes — whether they’re born with something or come down with cancer — they are not afforded that opportunity.
“I just consider myself extremely blessed to be out here again, being able to play this game and I’ll definitely cherish that. I was able to keep a perspective on what I was going through and keep a certain reference point, and that really helped me.”
“Greatness lies on the edge of discomfort …A place that welcomes risk takers and those who don’t fear the outcome.”
Nearly 230 pounds, the robust Tranquill could have a role similar to All-America linebacker Jaylon Smith last year in the way he is moved around on the defense in various packages. At various times in spring ball Tranquill could be identified as a Mike linebacker, a rush end at the “Joker” position, or a nickel back. He can be in coverage one play, a run plugger on the next, an edge rusher on the third… His most work is needed at playing off the hash marks.
“He's a great box safety,” said Kelly this spring. “He's great close to the line of scrimmage. He's a very good tackler. The areas of development are in our speed package, working line games, working his pass rush technique. He's a very focused and studious kid … we're putting him in a role that allows him to do a lot of things for us.”
He also will be entrusted to handle many calls in third-year defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s scheme.
“There are definitely calls back there, especially as a strong safety, where you’ve got three or four checks that can happen in a play and those need a lot more reps,” Tranquill said.
Having worked three years with senior free safety Max Redfield, Tranquill believes their chemistry is at its best, but counting on an influx of seven freshmen, especially free safety Devin Studstill, and sophomores such as Shaun Crawford (medically redshirted last year), Nick Coleman and Ashton White, has made Tranquill also a part-time coach.
“I think you learn a lot from coaching guys, so when I’m investing time in those guys and I’m walking them through and I have to coach them through, there is a deeper level of understanding that is necessary in order to do that,” Tranquill said. “I’m always learning just being around those guys.”
The outside meeting time this summer with youngsters was easily a record during Tranquill’s time at Notre Dame.
“We just had a lot of guys that were hungry and coming to us older guys, ‘Meet with us, meet with us, meet with us,’ ” Tranquill said. “It was cool to see that… We’re coaching the young guys, but sometimes Max and I are like, ‘How do you see this?’ and we’re able to develop a better chemistry between the two of us.”
What that will mean in 2016 is still to be determined on the actual field of play.
“Everyone starts fast, but those who endure are great,” Tranquill said.
Sounds like another message from his Twitter account.
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