Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 26, 2018 17 Wimbush, who boasts a 13-3 record as Notre Dame's starting quarterback the past two sea- sons, has been praised by his coaches and teammates for how he handled his demo- tion in September. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA wideout Chris Finke said. "He has never once complained. Obviously no one wants that to happen to them. 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 be- tween them at all, and I think that everybody seeing that keeps us to- gether." "A bunch of kids on this team have said, 'Brandon is handling this really well,'" senior wide receiver Miles Boykin said. "I don't know too many kids who could handle this well … Brandon is so dedicated to his team- mates." "It's easy to lose your edge when you're not starting," Kelly said. "He's fought that. 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." Six years ago, it was Wimbush's current position coach Tommy 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 and an eventual berth to the BCS National Championship Game. "That guy has been through every- thing you can imagine at the quar- terback position," Wimbush said in praise of Rees' mentorship. "He's led me, and he's helped the entire quar- terback room, being that young fig- ure who's been here not too long ago. "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. I think that's a huge spark between the two of us." Such sparks help keep Notre Dame's flame lit beyond just playing fields. ✦