Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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100 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY LOU SOMOGYI S ixty years ago in football, a triple threat was defined as one who could excel on offense, defense and spe‑ cial teams, much like Notre Dame 1956 Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung. Thirty years later, the triple threat was defined more by one's versatility as a run‑ ning back, receiver or return man, a la Notre Dame's Raghib "Rocket" Ismail (1988‑90). Now 30 years hence again, Notre Dame senior rover Drue Tranquill can serve as the NCAA football model of the consum‑ mate, and quite rare, "triple threat" when it comes to combining the athletic, academic and spiritual. Former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow (2006‑09) would be deemed one of the all‑time NCAA standards in the three areas, including two national titles and a Heisman Trophy. Tranquill has been far less conspicuous — mainly because of not nearly as prosperous seasons and more injury set‑ backs — but has been a worthy disciple. Amid the rubble of last season, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native earned a place on the 2016 Academic All‑America Division I Football Team that celebrates the combina‑ tion of football and scholastic achievement. Athletically, Tranquill started all 12 games at strong safety — after having undergone two ACL surgeries in as many years — and led the team in solo stops (52), was second in total tackles (79), and added two passes broken up and an interception. Academically, Tranquill posted a 3.74 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the College of En‑ gineering as a mechanical engineer, a rare field of study at this level of football, and has been a regular on the Dean's List. His class load during the season included Design of Machine Elements (how to con‑ struct engines and their functionality), Fluid Dynamics (the movement of fluid through pipes), AutoCAD (computer‑aided design) and Fundamentals of Engineering and Busi‑ ness Practice (a focus on high‑level execu‑ tive work that includes reading financial statements and account summaries). The lone uncertainty in the classroom is on where and how to apply his current major. "I like a landscape of different things," Tranquill said. "I like land development, real estate, construction — that would be more along the lines of civil engineering. I also like medical devices, the designs of prosthetics, knees, hips. Tearing two ACLs, I can have an appreciation of that. I'm still trying to find my niche. "I just like to build things. My dad was an industrial systems engineer, and I grew up wanting to build things. Loving math and science, as weird as that sounds, I figured why not try it. A lot of people don't like math and science, especially the time de‑ mands it takes to do." Engaging in building from the bottom up will apply to his 2017 football team as well. A Strong Faith Despite the time constraints involved in major college football and as an engineer major, the foremost priority in Tranquill's life is the spiritual. His body and mind led him to Notre Dame, but his faith is the fore‑ most bedrock of his life. That is why back‑to‑back ACL surgeries in 2014 and 2015 that ended his football seasons elicited not self‑pity but more deter‑ mined steadfastness and tenacity. Hours after his second surgery, Tranquill tweeted: "Consider it pure joy when you Last year, Tranquill posted a 3.74 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the College of Engineering and earned a spot on the Academic All-America Division I Football Team. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN Mind, Body, SPIRIT Nobody in college football better combines the athletic, academic and spiritual than senior rover and captain Drue Tranquill