Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1143622
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2019 21 a handful of player reps selected by the administration in the coaching search to replace the then deposed Charlie Weis. Martin just possessed an intrinsic leadership aspect pal- pable to everyone else. That's Hainsey today. • He was the lone captain chosen at superpower IMG Academy in 2016 after previously attending Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pa. • He was a rare freshman starter along the 2017 Irish offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award as the finest in the country. • He was the lone sophomore among the eight Spring/Summer Workout Accountability Team (SWAT) captains this winter. Now entering his junior year, Hain- sey is slightly taller at 6-4 5 ⁄8 than the 6-4 Martin was at Notre Dame, and not necessarily deemed the prototype 6-7, 320-pound road-grading tackle like a Mike McGlinchey (2013-17). Like Martin, whose arms were deemed a tad too short to play tackle in the NFL, Hainsey could line up at guard if needed. There were even whispers that because of his football IQ and superb technique, he could be a good center candidate to replace graduated three-year starter Sam Mustipher this season. Instead, sophomore tackle Jarrett Patterson took on that role. Hainsey referred to Patterson as an "outstand- ing young player" the way a fifth- year senior might talk about a fresh- man. Still in his sophomore year this spring, Hainsey — who the coaching staff graded out as the top Irish line- man last year — spoke like a grizzled veteran after a strong freshman debut and then starting all 13 games in 2018. "Zack's a big one," replied Hain- sey on players he has attempted to model in his approach. "I remem- ber Mike [McGlinchey] showed me film of Zack from 2011-12, watching him and Chris Watt do [double-team] blocks, Zack doing pass pro against guys way bigger than him and lon- ger than him — and just how smooth he was and how efficient he was with his movements and his techniques. "Same with Mike. Mike's bigger than me, but the way he plays is what I've tried to emulate because he still has some of the best technique that I was able to work with. No matter what your size is, your technique can't slip based on that. It has to be the best that you can make it no matter what." As a freshman in 2017, Hainsey held his own against the likes of North Carolina State's Bradley Chubb (No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft) and many other future pros during a 10-3 campaign. That year he and current right guard Tommy Kraemer were in co-starting roles, with each taking about 40 snaps per game. Last year, Hainsey took on the full starting role for the 12-1 Irish, while Kraemer shifted to guard. "Experience helped a lot, just knowing what to expect," Hainsey said of his sophomore year. "I was able to relax a little bit and play more. At the same time, though, I need to find a happy medium where I'm not too relaxed and I can just specifically work on my technique … just the little things that get you through every play and allow you to dominate your opponent. "That's what's really important — sticking true to my technique that I've learned through the years." Hainsey said he couldn't have ar- rived at a better time as an early en- rollee in 2017 while learning from the likes of McGlinchey, Mustipher, Quenton Nelson and Alex Bars. "Guys that taught me how to be a Notre Dame man and how to live my life and run the program," Hainsey praised. "Just follow their footsteps … I did everything I can to emulate them and lead the way I know how to, as I've been on leadership roles on other teams. But taking what I've learned from them, their strategies, the style that they play and the character that they have and the kind of men they are. "You're trying to come in and be the same guy and the same team ev- ery day, and just continue to grow." At 298 pounds, Hainsey's foremost football goals center on becoming a master technician with an unsurpassed work ethic and acumen. That's not to say he will have the future in the NFL like Martin does, but rather to help maximize his own capabilities while elevating those around him, includ- ing four other offensive linemen who started at least five games last season. "I have more than enough size to compete, it's just that I have to be as technical as possible," Hainsey said. "Even if I was a lot bigger and able to use my size more, I don't think I should ever let my technique suffer." Destined for a captain's role sooner or later, Hainsey's leadership was fur- ther manifested this spring during a conversation with senior quarterback and fellow SWAT captain Ian Book. "I told him that you're the quarter- back and everyone is going to listen to you," Hainsey said. "Your voice echoes loudly within our locker room and within this building. People are going to perk up and people are go- ing to listen because of who you are and the way you run this team. "That's one of my good friends. I'm really proud of the way he handled everything and the way he's been handling his leadership role now." Takes one to know one. ✦ Hainsey started all 13 games at right tackle last season while grading out as Notre Dame's top offensive lineman. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL