SOUTH BEND ― Christian Gray surprised some people in August when he won a starting cornerback position for Notre Dame football out of fall camp.
While the sophomore has had his fair share of ups-and-downs along the way, Gray feels like he’s finding his footing as the Fighting Irish prepare for Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl Thursday (7:30 p.m., ESPN).
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“I feel very comfortable ― not at ease, but I feel like I’m elevating every day in my confidence and my game,” Gray said. “I feel relaxed in where I’m at.”
Bouncing back from tough performances
Gray has been the target of recent opponents USC and Georgia, the former at the end of the regular season and the latter in the Sugar Bowl playoff quarterfinal. He struggled for most of the game against USC, but was able to get the proverbial last laugh when he recorded a 99-yard pick-six that all-but sealed a playoff spot for the Irish.
It seemed like Gray would struggle against Georgia when he allowed a 67-yard completion against Arian Smith. Gray rallied back from that, though, to help limit the Bulldogs to just 167 passing yards outside the one big play.
“Sometimes it happens,” Gray said. “Even in the big leagues, you can get a fade ball caught on you, or a touchdown caught on you. It happens; it’s football. One play, one life.”
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Along with getting support from his mother, Gray relies on advice his grandfather gave him as a child to persevere through tough moments.
“Growing up, my grandpa always told me to keep my head up even when something isn’t going right,” Gray said. “That’s what being a man is, you know? Even if something’s going wrong, even though someone caught a touchdown on you, you keep your head up high because you have another play, you have another day, you have another year. Just keep your head up high; that’s what I learned from my grandpa and that’s what I still use.”
Defensive coordinator Al Golden noticed Gray’s bounce-back ability during the Indiana game, which came in between the USC and Georgia contests.
“It was my fault,” said Golden of why Gray struggled with the Trojans. “I put him in a bad position given the circumstance, and I had to rethink some things. I put him in better position (against Indiana) and put him in better position for a lot of games this year. Didn’t do a good job against USC. I’m sorry it manifested on his plate. It should not have. But at the end of the day, he showed his mettle when he made an interception and saved the day for us. God bless him. Great kid. Fighter.”
Preparing for Penn State
Despite some of Gray’s struggles, Notre Dame has stayed consistent in playing the majority of games in man defense. This forces the cornerbacks to play one-on-one with receivers for the bulk of the time.
“I do take it as a compliment, but I do take it more than that because, wow, we’re just playing ‘man,’” Gray said. “That means they have an incredible amount of trust in us to get the job done and never let these guys catch the ball.”
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The secondary players rarely come off the field as well, which Gray also sees as a compliment.
“I don’t really get gassed; it’s just a lot of snaps, it’s fine,” Gray said. “It’s kind of fun, you know? Just knowing I’m in there the whole game. It’s just a blessing.”
The defensive secondary will receive a challenge against Penn State in the form of Tyler Warren, who won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. His stellar season also earned him a seventh-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting.
It’s a task Gray and company are ready for.
“We’ve been hungry ever since NIU,” Gray said, referring to Notre Dame’s 16-14 Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois. “We just have to keep at it and be some savages, as coach Golden always says.”
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: The ‘one play, one life’ mantra helping this Notre Dame football cornerback
