Tyler Buchner's story of perseverance is pretty remarkable.
Early in the first game of his sophomore year, he tore his ACL, which was obviously a tough pill to swallow for Buchner. He bounced back in a big way after a long recovery process and accounted for 81 touchdowns (53 passing, 28 rushing) and 6,084 yards in leading La Jolla (Calif.) The Bishop's School to a 12-1 record in 2019.
"My sophomore year was a bummer, but the more I think about it, it was more of a blessing than a curse," the Notre Dame class of 2021 quarterback commit said. "I was in the weight room for a year straight, working on everything. My squat went up 90 pounds after I tore my ACL. And that wouldn't have happened without [the injury]. I'm living a great life and I'm blessing to be in this position."
Buchner didn't have any expectations for himself going into his junior season in 2019. He was just excited about playing football again. As he led his team to a sensational season and put up big numbers every week, he didn't focus much on his statistics.
"When I look back it, and I'm kind of like, 'Wait, that was a lot of touchdowns.' In the moment, I didn't really think about it as anything," explained Buchner. "You just play the game and the touchdowns come as you come into them."
Buchner's squad lost 75-59 in the 2019 CIF San Diego Section Division II championship game to El Camino, a school with a much larger student population. Falling just short of the ultimate goal of winning the title was tough for Buchner and his team.
"It wasn't what we wanted and we thought we should've won that game," said Buchner, who accounted for eight scores and 649 yards in the contest. "It was hard watching that film the next morning. I couldn't even get through it because it was just so tough to watch. It was obviously a bummer, but we've moved on."
When asked to reflect on how much his junior year has changed his young life, Buchner admitted that it is different.
"I haven't really thought about that, but I guess now that I am thinking about it, life definitely has changed," Buchner said. "I try not to think about it too much. I just want to keep getting better.
Part of the change for Buchner, even though he tries to tune most of it out, is the high amount of adoration and attention he receives, especially on the internet. However, on a day-to-day basis at The Bishop's School, Buchner is like any other kid, something that he appreciates.
"No one treats me like I'm any different or any cooler," Buchner said. "I got some award during announcements the other day, and the chess club got as much applause as I did. I'm just a student, and that's one of my favorite parts about going to school there. It's really humbling. If I ever do something well, all of my buddies will make sure to keep me humble. I have really great people around me to make it easy."
Buchner has been committed to Notre Dame for just over a year and is dedicated to helping the Fighting Irish coaching staff build a strong 2021 class.
"I'm excited for the competition and practicing with those guys and really pushing myself in the weight room, classroom and on the field," he said. "I'm excited to move on to the next chapter and getting better."
On Wednesday, the Buchner family announced that Tyler would be transferring to La Mesa (Calif.) Helix for his final semester of high school, which will be this upcoming fall, before he enrolls at Notre Dame in January of 2021.
The 6-2, 210-pounder ranks as the nation's No. 43 prospect and No. 2 dual-threat quarterback per Rivals.
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