Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 91 "It was honestly insane," Tillery recalled. Tillery immediately called back home to Shreveport, La., and shared the horrific news with his mother, who gave the only helpless advice she could from half a world away … "Pray!" "The craziest thing ever," Tillery contin- ued. "People were running, screaming from the beach." The warning of imminent disaster passed 38 minutes later when a second message was sent describing the first as a false alarm. Two days later, Tillery was back at Notre Dame for the first football team meeting of the new year. That's where the defen- sive line standout informed his teammates and coaches he would return for his senior season. "Great memories, I guess," Tillery jokes now about a vacation and a decision that he will never forget. It's hard to fathom going through what Hawai'i went through that morning. But when you travel with the frequency of Til- lery, unique occurrences are inevitable. During his time at Notre Dame, Tillery has logged study abroad programs in Cape Town, South Africa; Dublin, Ireland; and Tokyo, Japan. Germany was a spring break destination. He went to Canada over Easter break. He's been to Venice, Italy; and Auschwitz, Po- land; he is planning to visit South Korea; and the sojourn to Hawai'i in January that Tillery thought would be the last trip he would ever take was actually his fourth to the islands. "All I have known is northwest Louisiana and the people there and that way of life," Tillery said of his undying wanderlust. "As I've come to Notre Dame I have gotten to see the world and grow as a person, see more people and experience more things, and play some really good football." What's notable about Tillery's explanation of globetrotting is that any mention of foot- ball comes well after his accounts of absorb- ing other cultures and meeting new people. Tillery has been accused by his coaches at times of being preoccupied with everything other than football, and that his game and the team suffered because of it. "We felt that was his challenge, learn- ing how to balance all of his interests and also his burning desire to be a great football player," explained Mike Elko, Notre Dame's defensive coordinator in 2017. "How much of his time and energy are needed to get into football and get that goal situated for him." Ask any of the Irish players and they're certain to call Tillery the most well-rounded and diverse player on the team. His interests are as varied as his athletic skill set. Tillery already holds his economics de- gree, accomplishing that a semester earlier than planned. He's a stock market junkie. His eclectic Instagram interests include Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Tes- tino, The New Yorker and the Guggenheim Museum. "You name it, he does it all," former teammate and current friend Jay Hayes said. "He's so worldly, I can't keep up with all the things he does. That's Jerry for you." Good Times, And Bad Another chapter that makes Tillery's story so intriguing is that for being such an intel- ligent, erudite individual … he's done some stupid stuff during his career. After a solid freshman season in 2015 where Tillery appeared in all 12 regular- season games, started three, and recorded 12 total tackles and two stops for loss, he was suspended for the Fiesta Bowl for an unspecified team rules violation. Tillery became a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2016 and saw an upgrade in performance with 37 total tackles. Regrettably, that nightmare 4-8 sopho- more season for Tillery is best remembered for a Twitter tirade and two temper tantrums he threw in a 45-27 thrashing at USC in the regular-season finale — the first when he nudge-kicked a prone and helpless Trojans player in the head and the second when he stomped on another's leg. A Louisiana native, Tillery took to Twit- ter in October of that season and indirectly lobbied for fired LSU head coach Les Miles to replace Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, first by liking a Tweet that read, "Les Miles head coach of Notre Dame please," and another that read, "Brian Kelly's time GROWING UP Globetrotting senior Jerry Tillery found a home at Notre Dame, which has helped him mature on and off the field