It has been a strange year for everyone on so many levels in 2020, and Notre Dame College Quarterback Chris Brimm is no exception. Brimm was just five or six years old when he picked up a football for the first time. In his case, it was a nerf football. The QB from Tallahassee wasted no time, as he was playing organized football by the time he was in the first grade. His mom signed him up for flag football for two years, then he got into tackle. Brimm played for the Winthrop Park Dolphins and Steelers, then moved up to play two years of tackle with the Lions. Brimm was born in Tallahassee, Fla. and lived in a neighborhood with all his family members called "Brimm Lane." Here is what the QB had to say about that:
" Most of my childhood summers I would play outside all day like a typical young kid. I was raised into a family who was big into church and was just a kid who always wanted to have fun, and I believe that's what really molded me into who I am today. I am blessed for the way my parents/family prepared me for the real world, giving me the ability to see things in my youth that taught me how to handle real life situations as I got older. The best part of growing up was being blessed to have both of my parents throughout my childhood,"Brimm explained.
He continued:
" I have one brother, Cjay, and he is 26 years old. He is a Surgical Support Tech at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH.) My dad, Carlton Brimm Sr., has always been in the law enforcement field and is a retired police officer after 25+ years. He currently works as a Deputy Marshall for the Florida Supreme Court. My mom, Denise Brimm, works at TMH in the Medical Records Department as the Supervisor of the Behavioral Health Department."
These were the thoughts of Brimm when asked about one quality that he got from each of his parents:
"My dad is someone who is always willing to help or give that helping hand to those in need and I think that is one thing that I took from him. As for my mom, as I grew up she was always the one full of energy. I never saw a time when she wasn't laughing, or just full of joy, and I think that's what I got from her. I try to live everyday to the fullest, so I try to always keep a smile on my face. I attribute my mom with a lot of that."
When talking to me about his high school career, Brimm told me how as a freshman in high school he did not see the field that much. He bounced around to different positions until the sophomore before his sophomore season. This is what he said about his last three years:
" As a three-year starter, I continued to gain more knowledge of the game. Our Offensive Coordinator was University of Florida Hall of Famer Jacquez Green, and as he and the rest of the staff worked hard to maintain a program that not only was successful in football, but also encouraged us as players to be active in other sports. Some chose track, some chose wrestling and basketball. I chose weightlifting for a number of reasons. Believe it or not, some of my best friends through high school were the offensive linemen, and lifting with them during the off-season gave me the opportunity to continue to build our relationship. Also, I just believed in continuing to build strength, while making it competitive was something that would be good for me in the long run. Weightlifting in high school really prepared me and it actually makes things fun in our college lifts."
One of those college linemen is Adam Riegler of NDC, and he gave his thoughts on the matter:
"The first time I met Chris was at the annual freshmen cookout and we just talked to each other about our football careers, "Riegler said.
Reigler talked about Brimm being a weightlifter in high school, and how unique it is:
"it is really unique that Chris was a weightlifter in high school; it is also very motivational. It makes you want to work even harder knowing that your QB is doing the same thing."
Jaleel McLaughlin has been in the backfield for Brimm for the past two seasons. He talked about when he first met Brimm:
" I met Chris Brimm on his official visit. He was not my guide, but he came into the room and we connected quickly. Chris being from Florida, and me being from North Carolina, we started talking right away. He is friendly, and outgoing. Chris is just a nice person,"McLaughlin said."
When speaking to me about the recruiting process, Brimm told me it was not the typical recruiting process. The call came from NDC in the spring of 2016. Mickey Mental was the one who made the call to make the offer. The conversation was new to the QB. He told me because NDC was the first school to reach out in regards to a scholarship. Brimm talked specifics of the call:
" I was on the way to get a haircut when he called and I was full of excitement the whole call. I just remember Coach Mental going into detail about how much they were interested in me and how I would fit into their system, as well as a brief story/background about the school/ program. As soon as we got off the phone I had to go look up 'Notre Dame College' because I had never heard of them. After that the actual 'recruiting process' took off for me. I had to look up what the school was, because of course I never imagined a school from Ohio would be offering me a scholarship. There were a few other schools who were interested but I never really had a chance to get the relationship with them. I got letters to my house from schools all over, but Florida A&M and Alcorn State were probably the schools that were most interested in me. I had talks with Hampton University, as well as a few NAIA/DIII schools. Coach Mental showed the high interest they had in me through calls and weekly updates during my senior season. I was always opposed to the idea of going to school out of state, but it grew on me after I saw the atmosphere of the school/team on my official visit. As former Head Coach Mike Jacobs and Coach Mental (who was the offensive coordinator at the time) assured my parents that I would be well taken care of, all of those worries went away and I finally committed. It's truly exciting to see Coach Mental as the Head Coach now. I think him being here since the start of the program, he for sure has the tools to continue our success."
McLaughlin spoke about how Brimm is always focused on his craft:
" Chris is always focused on his craft. His energy and focus is off the charts. The great thing is that he is a fun guy, and he is always doing the right thing. He has fun while playing, and not only does he do things for himself but he is always bringing his teammates along with him."
Brimm told me as a quarterback, it sure makes things a bit easier when you have people around you who can make lots of plays. He is just glad to have great players at all positions.
Brimm also explained to me that he has never been one that always wants recognition or praise for anything. "Being the Starting Quarterback is truly enough "praise in itself" because you're given such an important role. I'm always glad to see our teams success and as long as we're doing what we need to do, I don't really expect or look for any credit or praise."
McLaughlin talked about Brimm's arm strength and accuracy:
" One thing that people might not know about Chris is he is a great player who is always making the right reads. Not only that, but his throws are always on target and he has a great arm. He can throw the ball 60-65 yards down the field in the air. The other thing is how accurate his arm is. He is great at putting the ball where it needs to go."
McLaughlin talked about how Brimm pushes everyone at all times, and how he has never played with a QB as good as him before:
" There is not another QB that I have played with who reminds me of Chris. He is the best QB that I have ever been around. The great thing is how he is always motivated and keeps his team motivated as well. Not only is he going to push people in practice and on the field, but he puts in the work in the weight room as well. His hard work is second to none, and he is always bringing guys along with him which is great. Not only is he pushing himself, but he pushes me to work harder. He does everything you want a QB to do both on and off the field."
McLaughlin continued, and talked about how Brimm is the perfect guy for the job:
"He is the perfect guy for this job. He has everything you want from a QB. He is not selfish, and the ball always goes where it is supposed to go. He is a lot more accurate than people realize. He always is making the right reads, and if that isn't good enough, and he isn't flashy so be it because he is just going to help NDC win at the end of the day. It's not necessarily a bad thing being a game manager."
Adam Reigler has been blocking for Brimm since his freshmen year, and has a message for the naysayer's:
" For those who say Chris is just a game manager, I would say Chris is determined to prove that he is not just a game manager. With Coach Mental we will see that this season."
Riegler talked about Brimm using his voice for leadership:
" A guy like Chris uses his voice and platform to not only speak highly of the offensive linemen, but the whole team. It just shows how selfless he is. You don't see the offensive linemen on the stat sheet or in the newspapers but they still make sure to let everyone know we are putting in work as well."
Riegler talked first about when he learned about Brimm, and then talked about his personality:
" I first heard about Chris on signing day when NDC posted his highlights on twitter. I was in class with a bunch of my high school friends and after watching his highlights I looked at them and said wow if I get a chance to block for this guy it could be something special. As for his personality, Chris is more quiet on the field. He is calm and collected, doesn't say a whole lot. He is always locked in at the task at hand though. Off the field, Chris can talk to anybody and have a conversation, that's just who Chris is. Chris is a guy you can go to about anything and he will give you his honest opinion. That is rare to find these days, he is a captain off the field as well for sure.
Riegler talked about the importance of Brimm:
" Chris is really important to our team and everybody on the team knows that."
Brimm talked about the team getting used to playing with a target on their back:
" As our program began to have so much success, we've always been told to play with a chip on our shoulders because we're always seen as the "hunted." I think regardless of the level you play at, the best part of being a QB on a team with such high expectations, is being able to have that pressure on you. I've always been one to love the thrill and having all the pressure on me. I don't see a negative in playing this position, just being able to play the game you love is truly a blessing."
He commended his running back of the last two year's work ethic:
" I don't think i've ever seen anyone work as hard as Jaleel works. I commend him on his hard work, and it really has translated to Saturday's these first two years. It has been fun the past two seasons to see how Jaleel is always able to make something out of nothing, and there have been many things he has done that I didn't think were possible. I don't think in the past two years there ever was a game where I didn't have 100 percent confidence that he was going to play his butt off."
Brimm talked about his offensive line:
" Our offensive line is a group of guys who put in the work day in and day out to get the credit they receive. You always hear "It starts up front, and with having arguably the best running back in DII the past two seasons, guys definitely live up to all the expectations they're given as a unit. Whether it's from the Quarterbacks or Running Backs, the appreciation of what they do, and how hard they work is always present."
Brimm was very candid in describing the relationships that he has built since coming to NDC:
" Starting the day I stepped on campus, I have gained a number of brothers on the team that I will never forget, but outside of football there are a variety of relationships I have built with other athletes, faculty, and coaches that have truly shaped my career at NDC. Being someone from out of state, I had to find people who were going to look out for me. There's been countless parents of teammates who have opened their homes to me for meals and anything I may have needed, as well as various faculty members on campus who have supported me since day one. I can truly say everyone I have met since 2107, has definitely made Cleveland my home away from home."
McLaughlin talked about the relationship he has with Brimm to this day, and how it has evolved since they met:
"Chris and I talk a lot. He has always been good to me. We were roommates on the road the past two years, and he has picked me up whenever my head was down. He really cares about me, we are two kids from down south and we will be friends forever."
Every college kid, especially college athletes like Brimm has someone whose craft they always admired, and try to mold their own game after. This is the case for Brimm as well. He told me that he has always been a huge Tom Brady and Peyton Manning fan. The way they make the mental aspect of football a huge priority and the steps they take to prepare for every week are things that he incorporates for himself. Brimm also admires Cam Newton and how much fun he has while playing the game. He told me that, "As a quarterback if you're having fun, it makes you more relaxed, which takes some of the weight off your shoulders. Brimm also explained how he has never been seen as a "mobile" quarterback but watching various pocket passers in the NFL and the way they have a presence in the pocket is something he puts into how he plays as well."
Brimm has learned since he came to NDC that he is in charge of his own future. All the decisions made from freshman year, until the day he graduates all play into that future. He also talked about how being away from his parents for long periods of time has definitely given him the opportunity to become more self-sufficient and learn how to live on his own. Not surprisingly, Brimm has made lots of friends on campus despite the fact that he did not know anyone prior to coming to South Euclid."
Brimm explained how being a redshirt was a big part of his growth:
"I tell every freshmen I talk to that my redshirt year was probably the best thing that I could have done. It gave me extra time to study the playbook and focus on my craft. Being under Malik Grove, he taught me the ins and outs of college football and I would say learning how to be a student of the game is probably the best thing about a redshirt year."
"As far as playing in the spring instead of the fall, we are just happy to play whenever it is. We have a great time when we are together, and we are working hard at the same time."
Reigler agreed:
" The hardest part of this pandemic is, right now knowing we should be playing games, but you can't control that. That has been my mindset during this whole thing, to control what you can control and work as hard as you possibly can for this team. The first couple practices will be wild because it will probably be freezing cold to start camp and we are not used to that. When the first game comes it won't bother us one bit. For me personally, I'm just excited to be able to hopefully play this season and have the opportunity for us to 3-peat the Mountain East Conference, and I know that's the only thing on everybody's mind on the team right now."
Brimm elaborated on how the team just enjoys playing football, but how stressful all this has been:
" Football is a sport we all love. Going day to day hoping you'd have a season is honestly stressful, because all we want to do is play football. I truly feel for those who are going to be seniors, because because this was probably the most important season of their careers."
Brimm continued and talked about his advice to the incoming freshmen during these unprecedented times:
" My advice to the incoming freshmen in these times would be to just trust the process and pray that everything will come together in the long run. I advise to them to continue to work on their craft and work to become the player they want to be."
Brimm spoke to me about how he feels the biggest change with a spring season instead of fall is not having any free time in the spring, which will be strange. Other than that change, everything will be pretty much the same as far as routines go. He talked about how not having fans in the stands will definitely be different:
" Our fans are some of the best in the country, they always show the best support and they are what makes our home games what they are. It will surely be a huge adjustment on game day with not being able to have our home crowd."
Another factor Brimm explained is how scheduling changes during this pandemic:
"Being in the Mountain East, I believe we have some good competition and things will be different playing a conference-only schedule. For me personally, i have always been a fan of playing non-conference games because being such a small/ underrated school it gives us a chance to showcase who Notre Dame College really is."
Riegler talked about how he uses the way the last two seasons ended as motivation:
"I still remember vividly sitting on the bench as Slippery Rock was taking a knee to win last season. I thought to myself, "we blew it two years in a row." Teams we knew we left off the hook. It's beyond motivational because we fell short of our goal two years in a row and that's winning a national championship. It's us that beat ourselves. I'm very excited to see Coach Mental taking over the program and becoming our new Head Coach. He brings a passion with him that's different from other coaches, every time he steps on the field to coach. He gets us as players. The respect level is immense for Coach Mental. For Chris Brimm, it just makes him more dangerous the bond that he and Coach Mental have. I am excited to see it grow even more."
Reigler closed with this thought:
" My relationship with Chris has grown immensely just in the fact that I did not know Chris before we both came to NDC. Two to three years later Chris is just one of those guys I know I could count on no matter what. It makes it even cooler to say he's my QB."
The beauty of that comment by Riegler is it could be any member of this squad that made that comment about the QB from Tallahassee. Now we all wait, and hope just like rest of the players, and coaches. In these crazy times that we are living in, we just hope that come 2021, players like Chris Brimm get to take their minds off of that for three hours on a Saturday. The good news is that practice is currently underway, hopefully games are just around the corner come 2021. But until then, as always "FlyAbove."
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