Oct. 6, 1999
by Bo Rottenborn
Many times you make a choice hoping that at some point in the future, it will pay off.
Senior Irish offensive lineman Matt Brennan is about to experience that payoff.
Three and a half years ago, Brennan was making the biggest decision of his life up to that point – he was choosing a college.
The first team all-state selection from Mobile, Ala., had just finished his senior football season and was looking for a place to spend his next four years. His choices included many schools close to his home and family, as well as the University of Notre Dame.
There was certainly a temptation for Brennan to stay close to home, especially because he had always been a fan of Auburn, his parents alma mater. But despite the attraction of the other schools, Brennan decided to make a choice for the future, becoming a Notre Dame student-athlete.
“I was looking for more than just football,” says Brennan. “So this was the place.”
The 6-6, 305-pound senior adds that he was delighted that Notre Dame football came with such an enticing package of a top-flight academic institution. He also recalls not wanting to go to any of the other schools recruiting him after he visited the Notre Dame campus.
“After visiting Notre Dame, I saw the attitude of the players on the team and realized they were interested in a lot of other things besides football,” says Brennan. “I felt that at Notre Dame, I would have so many more opportunities after graduation.”
In the meantime, Brennan has never regretted the decision as he looks back fondly on his time at Notre Dame, citing numerous reasons that he has enjoyed his college years.
“I’ve enjoyed my adventure with my teammates, knowing them and working with them,” says Brennan. “I’m proud to say that I played under coach Lou Holtz for a year and now with the present coaches. I’m also proud to say that I’ve been with great players like (former offensive lineman) Mike Rosenthal and Luke Petitgout.”
Brennan’s collegiate debut came on special teams against Purdue in 1997 and Brennan played in six games that season. Last year, he appeared in four more contests on special teams, while also filling in at offensive tackle. This season Brennan has seen action in each game on special teams as well as backing up fellow senior Jim Jones after switching to left guard.
Brennan says that the transition from tackle, his original position with the Irish, to guard has been good.
“I just want to play wherever the coaches want me to be,” says Brennan. “I’m having a lot more fun at guard. It’s a whole different position, but I’ve enjoyed it.”
One of the biggest challenges facing all the Irish players this year is overcoming the 1-3 start of the team. But, Brennan was also around in 1997, when Notre Dame began 1-4 before righting the ship and winning its last five regular season games.
“The way we have been trained for the past four years, in the off-season and on the field, is to never quit,” says Brennan. “We know what it’s like to win and we know what it’s like to lose. We’ve been through both in all these years and we just want to get it back on track as much as anybody. You can always bring winning back to a season no matter what.”
Brennan does admit that it is more difficult this year, knowing that he is playing his last season at Notre Dame and will, therefore, not have a next year.
“It’s about pride and having fun,” says Brennan.
Brennan faced a similar situation four years ago, during his senior year at UMS Wright High School. After dropping the first four games, Brennan, who was captain of the team, and his teammates helped the squad get back on track, leading them to the third round of the state playoffs.
Because of his experience in coming back from slow starts, Brennan has tried to impress upon the younger players that it is never too late to turn a season around.
“I try to encourage any guys that I see are down – whether it be on or off the field,” Brennan says. “I just try to show them that you’ve got to be consistent in practice and never take a day off. We’ve all heard a lot of talk, but we’ve just got to go out and do it.”
After the football season, Brennan is undecided as to exactly what he will do. He says that graduate school is a strong possibility after graduating in May with a degree in accounting.
“I eventually want to work in the business world,” says Brennan.
He cites the contacts he has made at Notre Dame as reasons to be optimistic about his future. These are contacts he would likely not have made anywhere else.
Regardless of the success of the ’99 team, Brennan counts himself lucky to have been a Notre Dame football player.
“It’s been a whole life-changing experience for me and I have gotten stronger as a person,” says Brennan. “I’m real appreciative of that as well as this place and the players that are here.”
That’s not a bad experience for someone who is only getting ready to reap the real benefits of a good decision, which will come after he checks in to a new game – the game of life.