Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 NOV. 16, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE W ith the way that Brandon Joseph forever finds himself around the football, and after taking a curvy path to reaching his NFL dream, maybe the "Lucky" nickname that a former col- lege coach tagged him with years ago fits perfectly. A two-year starting safety at North- western in 2020-21, a talented defensive back/return man at Notre Dame in 2022, and now a valuable backup safety with the Detroit Lions, Joseph takes great pride in his reputation as a ballhawk after recording 10 interceptions in 35 career college games. Good fortune? Not hardly, Joseph said. "Maybe it's because I know what I'm doing a little bit. Maybe this is my oc- cupation. Maybe I'm somewhat good at this," theorized Joseph, who attributes some of his ball-hawking abilities to playing quarterback and wide receiver in high school. As a redshirt freshman at Northwest- ern in 2020, Joseph led the Big Ten with 6 interceptions in nine games to earn All-America honors. The College Sta- tion, Texas, native then added 3 more interceptions with the Wildcats in 2021, and 1 at Notre Dame in 2022. "Picking the ball off," Joseph added, "it's just what I do, and it's what really comes natural to me." While a confident Joseph put up great production numbers in college as both a defensive back and a kick returner, his underwhelming performance dur- ing the NFL pre-draft process left him undrafted. At the 2023 NFL Draft Com- bine that February, Joseph posted only a 30.5-inch vertical jump, the lowest among all de- fensive backs, and his 4.62-sec- ond time in the 40-yard dash time was the fourth slowest within his position group. Nevertheless, Joseph was signed as a free agent by the Lions, but spent his first NFL season in 2023 on the practice squad in Detroit. But instead of pouting over a missed roster chance, Joseph embraced his role, learned from it, secured a spot on the Lions' active roster this season, and is taking full advantage. In a 24-14 win over Green Bay Nov. 3 — a victory that kept the Lions (7-1) atop the NFC North Division — Joseph finished with a career-high 6 solo tackles to help extend Detroit's winning streak to six games. Through Nov. 9, Joseph had appeared in all eight of the Lions' games, made 13 tackles and built a more expanded role. "Every year, we get to the end of the year and we look at all of these guys," Lions head coach Dan Campbell ex- plained of offseason player evaluations. "And we say, 'All right, who developed? Who do we need to keep working with? Who's got room to grow?' "And there has been noticeable growth from [Joseph] last year. He's a young guy that we like a lot. He puts the work in. He's smart. He's crafty." Campbell additionally celebrated Jo- seph's football IQ. Not the swiftest of foot, and stand- ing at an unremarkable 6-foot and 200 pounds, Joseph isn't the most physically gifted defender. But Campbell explained that Joseph rarely misses an assignment because of a mental error, which has helped build a confidence between the player, coaches and teammates. "This year, my goal is to get better every day and show these coaches that they've kept me around for a reason," said Joseph, who in May 2023 was re- warded with a three-year, $2.7 million contract. "And when the opportunity arises, I'll be ready." ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Alohi Gilman (Played at Notre Dame from 2017-19), S, Los Angeles Chargers, NFL Continuing to make his mark as a valuable first-year starter, the 2020 sixth-round draft pick made 5 tackles in a 27-10 win over the Cleveland Browns Nov. 3, bringing his season total to 38 stops (24 solo). The Laie, Hawai'i, native also added 1 interception, his first of the season and the fifth of his career, and returned it 18 yards. Kyle Hamilton (2019-21), S, Baltimore Ravens, NFL For the third straight game, the 2022 first-round draft pick made double-digit tackles. This time, Hamilton recorded 10 (including 1 for loss) in a 41-10 victory over the Denver Broncos Nov. 3, earning nearly a perfect 90.0 grade from Pro Football Focus with his run defense. Through nine games, Hamilton led the Ravens with 67 total stops, while building a strong case for a second straight first-team All-Pro selection. Drue Tranquill (2014-18), LB, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL The 2019 fourth-round draft pick made 7 tackles, including half a sack, in a 30-24 overtime win versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nov. 4 that improved the Chiefs' record to 8-0 on the season and moved them atop the AFC West Division by three full games. Playing in his second season in Kansas City, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native ranked second on the team with 45 tackles through eight games. Talent, Not Luck, Driving Lions Safety Brandon Joseph I R I S H I N T H E P R O S Joseph appeared in all eight games for the 7-1 Lions, while making 13 tackles and building an expanded role. PHOTO COURTESY DETROIT LIONS