KeiVarae Russell’s Amazing Journey

Nice article lou. The first interview I saw russell do instantly made him one of my favorites for this year's team

I have been quite impressed with his progression. Watching him and Golson grow before our eyes has been amazing.

He was outstanding this year. To be thrown into the fire like he was with limited time at the position and to play like he did was just amazing to watch.

love stories like this kid. next to the qb pos, arguably the toughest to come in and play well as a freshman......

Has to be the biggest surprise (position wise) in the last 10 years or so. I'm young but maybe Shane Walton is the last great player to come out of the wood works like this.

Who would have ever thought that we would lose two veterans to season ending injuries only to be replaced by a true freshman All American? Even still, there is room to improve for Mr. Russell. We haven't had a pick six this year although there have been several opportunities missed, mainly by Jackson.

The trajectory is tough to gauge early on because there have been instances of seeing a downward trend at corner after a strong start, but I just don't get that vibe with Russell. He's so eager to learn, the coaches raved about him early and he looks to be on a path of a solid Irish career.

Need the double slow-down button...

dawgler, great story, and thanks for sharing. Here is the piece I did on KeiVarae in our print edition last October that reflects a lot of what you said:

HEADLINE
Feeding Off ‘Special K’
SUBHEAD
Freshman cornerback KeiVarae Russell provides uplifting presence
BYLINE
By Lou Somogyi

Teammates refer to Notre Dame freshman cornerback KeiVarae Russell as “Special K,” but he just as easily could be dubbed “Fast Forward.”
From the moment Russell enters the interview room at Notre Dame, he is in fifth gear — and then enters overdrive. Tape recorders will need to be re-wound several times just to catch every word he states in a rapid, enthusiastic tone.
“’K’ is a funny dude,” said his more laid back classmate and nickel back Elijah Shumate. “The life of the team — the life of the freshman class. Always a smile … he’s just a happy kid.”
Shumate first met Russell last January at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, with Everett, Wash., native Russell on offense for the West and East Orange, N.J. resident Shumate on defense for the East.
Oftentimes it’s the Jersey kids who are stereotyped as brash and talkative, but even Shumate was taken aback when Russell immediately struck up a mile-a-minute introduction about how “we’re gonna love it up there at Notre Dame.”
Goodness, Russell will even hug reporters he has built a relationship with in the past.
It’s little wonder that last May Russell was one of a handful of Everett citizens to win the Mayor’s Youth Achievement Award for having a positive influence on the community. It’s also no surprise that he was the student body president at Mariner High School.
“We knew ever since his freshman year that KeiVarae had such a bright future — not so much in athletics, but in life,” said Russell’s high school head coach Ondriezek, who is in his 20th season at Mariner. “His goal is to make a difference. While you could see he was an outstanding athlete, what stood out more was his enthusiasm and charisma as a leader.”
One of Ondrezek’s favorite recollections is how the high school’s star athlete sat at the lunch table with the special needs students at Mariner.
“What was nice is he did it on his own, and he does so many things when others aren’t watching,” Ondriezek said. “He cares about doing the right thing, and he cares about people.”
Mariner High special education teacher John McQuirk wrote in one letter nominating Russell for one of numerous leadership awards about how “I just wanted to shake his hand and thank him for his excellent example of citizenship.”
When Ondriezek joined Russell on his official visit to Notre Dame last year, he quickly discovered his pupil and the school were made for each other.
“The camaraderie at the school, valuing community and giving back to people were a main topic when he was interviewing with an administrator,” Ondriezek recalled. “After we walked out from the meeting, I just said, ‘KeiVarae, everything that was just talked about in there, that’s you.’ That’s one of the main reasons he chose Notre Dame.”

Finding The Balance
Nevertheless, don’t mistake Russell’s congeniality for softness in his attitude toward competition. You don’t become the first true freshman cornerback ever at Notre Dame to start in an opener with a soft touch.
“KeiVarae has a very strong love for the game and competition,” said Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco. “He’s got enough of an ego and swagger to not allow the little hiccups that come to reshape his whole mental framework. He’s got enough love for the game and competitiveness and ego to maintain a healthy balance out there on the perimeter when the game is on the line.”
Throughout summer school at Notre Dame the 5-11, 182-pound Russell worked at receiver for the Irish in 7-on-7 drills. A week before camp, the individual who rushed for 4,557 yards and 50 touchdowns in his high school career was told by the staff that he would be moved to corner, the team’s primary need.
With minimal experience at corner, Russell asked his former coach how he might fare.
“This is a good thing because the coaches are talking about you and know they can depend on you,” Ondriezak told him.
Ironically, another West Coast native, slot man DaVonte’ Neal, was thought to be a potential corner prospect in the current freshman class, but it was Russell who was selected.
“Oh yeah, it’s tough,” said Russell of playing corner. “In high school I used to think corner was one of the easiest spots … all you’ve got to do is stay in front. Here, even if they’re slow they can still beat you if you take your eyes off your man, if you take your eyes off the quarterback if it’s zone … you have to be a technician at corner.
“I’m kind of sloppy right now … I’m not as consistent as I know I could be … even the greatest sometimes get lazy. It’s tough to have to be a technician every single play, but that’s what I’m working toward … We can play with anybody athletically, but that goes only so far.”

‘He Just Has It’
A season ending injury this August to projected starter and junior Lo Wood made the cornerback position even more shaky. Yet a week prior to the opener, head coach Brian Kelly confidently declared that Russell would be the starter opposite junior Bennett Jackson.
“There’s always a couple of kids that just have it,” said Kelly of Russell at the time. “He’s a great kid. He’s so confident in his ability. He’s extremely athletic. He’s picked it up so quickly.”
According to Diaco, Russell is a neophyte when it comes to eye progression, some fundamental footwork and other rudimentary elements of the position, but the intangible elements complement his athletic skills.
“We knew we could call a few things to get KeiVarae through the game based on his tangible traits,” Diaco said. “We’re delighted to watch him move and change direction. He really looks like a top-flight corner.”
Russell said sometimes he is tentative because he has such an internal fear of getting beat deep, like he did on a 25-yard scoring play in the opener against Navy.
“I was kind of down on myself, but the coaches said playing corner that’s going to happen,” Russell said. “Just keep smiling and work. Let’s get better, erase the play and let’s go to the next one.”
Kelly, Diaco and the staff have set up the defensive alignments that allow little room for the corners to get exposed too much. Against Michigan, Russell recorded his first career interception on the last play of the first half — the fifth straight Wolverine pass that was picked off.
“I thought I was being an outsider for a minute,” laughed Russell of his interception that he returned 31 yards. “I was like, ‘Man, everybody’s getting picks but me. What’s going on?’ ”
An infectious attitude has overtaken the defense, with senior All-America linebacker Manti Te’o the ringleader.
“We really want it,” Russell said. “Our whole ‘D-boys’ just are hungry. Every single play we just want to get better. … every single game we do something that we haven’t done the previous game.”
He still turns to Wood and fifth-year safety Jamoris Slaughter, who also is out for the year with an Achilles tendon injury, as his mentors. And to no one’s surprise, Te’o clicked instantly with Russell.
“He told me, ‘You won’t realize why you chose this school until a few years later,” Russell recalled. “ ’You’ll feel it.’
“I said, “What do you mean?’ He said, ‘I can’t tell you. You’ll feel it.’ ”
It would appear Russell already has.