Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/156066
With 18 career starts and numerous saves out of Notre Dame's quarterback bullpen, Rees is primed to peak in 2013. Photo by Bill Panzica these different changes and I don't know how you can prepare for them, but I guess my parents did a pretty good job of raising me to keep my temper low and to keep everything good," he said. "[I'm] putting my faith in my teammates and just staying true to who I am." "Caretaker" was first used during Rees' freshman year when he moved ahead of Montana and then replaced the injured Crist during Notre Dame's surprising 4-0 finish after a 4-5 start. Rees earned the team's "Next Man In" Award … but the freshman supposedly was just keeping the seat warm and was the best option until "the next big thing" developed, much like another No. 11, Rick Slager in 1975-76, between national title quarterbacks Tom Clements and Joe Montana. A year later, Rees replaced Crist for good by the second half of the opener and started the remaining 12 games during a disappointing 8-5 season in which he committed 19 turnovers (14 interceptions and five fumbles). Such numbers are often part of the learning curve for young quarterbacks. Jimmy Clausen's sophomore year at Notre Dame in 2008 included 17 interceptions with a percentage rate higher than Rees. Nevertheless, Clausen arrived as a five-star wunderkind while Rees was less likely to get the benefit of doubt because he was perceived as a "filler" while Kelly and his first-year staff were assembling a