Notre Dame Football: Is Tommy Rees Like Joe Montana?

Prior to the start of the season, I advocated the return of Dayne Crist to the starting quarterback position at Notre Dame. Crist had the pedigree that comes with being a Five-Star recruit and being perhaps the highest recruited high school quarterback in the nation that year.  Rees on the other hand, was a Three-Star recruit that was mostly recruited by MAC programs.

Crist also has a more imposing physical presence at 6’4" 235lbs., he possesses the arm strength and look of an NFL quarterback. Tommy Rees rather, looks like the guy you might be sitting next to in your accounting class.

Finally, I felt that Crist deserved the first look in a close race because he had won the derby the previous year and essentially lost his job due to an injury. I’m now more than willing to report that I was wrong. As fans, and in my case historians, they tell us to remember the past lest we are doomed to repeat it. 

Growing up I used to hear tales of Joe Montana the comebacks, the National Championship, the chicken soup game and others. However, it wasn’t until I delved deeper that I realized at one point Montana was sixth on the depth chart at Notre Dame.

Additionally, despite leading ND to two fourth quarter comebacks in 1975, an injury in 1976 left him third on the depth chart behind Rusty Lisch and Gary Forystek at the start of 1977. Some players on that 1977 team recall being angry following their 1-1 start at the feeling that the best quarterback (Montana) was sitting on the bench. 

Finally, in Week 3 after Lisch struggled and Forystek was injured, Montana entered the game in the 4th quarter—only after Lisch failed in his second chance and with the Irish trailing Purdue 24-14.

One often wonders why did it take so long to make a change? My best guess is the luster that sometimes blinds coaches’ potential and size. Lisch was 6’4" 215lbs. and Forystek was also 6’2" and over 200lbs. I can hear the debates now probably centering on size and a bigger arm for Forystek and Lisch.

Fast forward to 1993 when a fan base and even Lou Holtz were enamored with the 6’2 220 lb. quarterback that would supposedly win two Heisman’s and enjoy a long NFL career hit the campus. It was only due to Ron Powlus's injury that the Kevin McDougal got a shot and nearly walked away with a national title.

Watching Notre Dame yesterday something appeared to be missing in Dayne Crist after that fumble and poorly thrown interception in the end zone.  Perhaps a psyche made fragile by disappointing injuries and enormous expectations have left Crist in essence damaged goods. 

On the other hand, history has shown that it is more than size, arm strength, and looking the part that says successful quarterback. Notre Dame was clearly a different team when Tommy Rees entered the game yesterday and one had the feeling that Rees really didn’t lose a ballgame yesterday as much as he ran out of time.

Going forward Brian Kelly would be wise to hitch his wagon to the guy in his accounting class.