Ron Powlus - The Perfectionist

Ron Powlus

The pressure is enough to destroy him if he lets it. He has to feel it every now and then -- has to at least allow for its momentary presence. He denies it of course, and you want to believe him, but deep down you know no one can escape a thing like this. It is too pervasive, too constant. Whether Ron Powlus hears it in muffled conversations in the hallways or classrooms, whether he sees it in the quick sharp glances or averted gazes, whether he smells it in the air, as thick as the smell of ethanol--the pressure is always there.

He's too injury prone, the voices say. He makes too many bad decisions, the glances suggest. He's not as good as advertised. Truth is, it's not possible for Ron Powlus to be as good as advertised. Truth is, it's not possible for anyone to be that good. Touchown Jesus himself might have problems being that good. "I am a perfectionist," Powlus says after an intense practice. "I want to do everything perfect, I want to be undefeated, I want to be as good as I can, and I don't think anyone can expect anymore than I expect of myself. So I don't think I've felt any burden or any pressure because of the expectations of other people."

You want to believe him, but somehow you can't. Nobody can be that hard on themselves, can they?

Everyone knows the Powlus legend by now -- knows about the origins of this burden of greatness. Everyone knows about the "Golden Boy," the "Messiah" who was to lead the Irish back into the land of National Championships. Everyone remembers ESPN football guru Beano Cook's proclamation that he would win "at least two Heisman trophies" during his collegiate career. What everyone forgets is what is obvious to anyone who has had any contact with Ron Powlus. Ron Powlus is a man. He is a human being, with feelings and emotions, strengths and weaknesses. And he can only do so much. Amazing, the things that get forgotten when you are the Notre Dame quarterback. "I think the most valuable lesson he's learned here -- and we've talked about it -- is that you can't please everybody," says offensive coordinator Dave Roberts. "No matter what you do, you can't please everyone here." Powlus hasn't pleased everyone here, hasn't even come close by some accounts. It's hard to please everyone when you are responsible for all that goes wrong.

"No matter what he does -- if he doesn't throw a touchdown pass every time, he's not living up to the expectations of some of the fans," says fullback and fellow senior Marc Edwards. "Some of the receivers run bad routes a lot of the time, and if he doesn't get the ball to them, it's his fault. A lot of people don't see all of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes that Ron is so good at. I mean, he knows every defense, and what to run against every defense, and he knows how to read the coverages. It's amazing. Little things he does, people don't see." Edwards says all of this and more, and you get the feeling that it has left its mark on him too, this intense pressure that surrounds Notre Dame football. What gets lost in the shuffle, what gets overshadowed amidst the blinding light of hype and hysteria, are the accomplishments. Ron Powlus has accomplished a great deal in just two full seasons at Notre Dame -- as much if not more than previous "great" Irish quarterbacks. But still, the criticism remains.

"People have said to me, Well, he's unduly criticized," says Roberts about his quarterback. "Well, by who? By people who wouldn't know what 22 zone would be? How are they going to criticize something they don't know anything about? What's interesting is -- it's so interesting -- I look up and Ron Powlus is ten touchdowns away from the most touchdowns ever thrown by a Notre Dame quarterback. I look up and he's fourth out of all the Notre Dame quarterbacks in completion percentage, and eighth in total passes -- he's sitting right in there after two seasons."

Roberts says all of this and much more, sounding much like a defense attorney for someone who has been accused of a heinous crime. His numbers are right on, his defense entirely accurate. It's enough to make you wonder: Perhaps this man has been unjustly accused. In just two full seasons, Powlus has set four passing records at Notre Dame, including most touchdown passes in a game and a season. He has completed over 55 percent of his career pass attempts, and his 31 career touchdown passes have him tied with Joe Theisman for second most TD tosses ever by a Notre Dame quarterback, second only to Rick Mirer. Eighth on that list is another guy named Joe. You may have heard of him -- he used to play for the 49ers.

"I think he's done everything that we've asked him to do," continues Roberts, the offensive mind whom the pressure has caused to suddenly think defense. "He's a phenomenal leader, he's got a great deal of courage, tremendous attitude, and his work ethic is phenomenal. I don't know what else there is to say about a quarterback. He's got a quick release and he does everything you ask him to do. I mean, what else is there?" There must be something, some reason for doubt. Perhaps it is the most tangible manifestation of pressure. Maybe it is the injuries. The injuries have been infrequent, yet severe. Powlus was leveled by Jim Flanigan and Bryant Young during the last day of practice his freshman year, cracking his collarbone and sidelining him for the season. Getting flattened by current NFLers Flanigan and Young must have been comparable to getting run over by a cruise ship. A turbo--charged cruise ship. Last season, he was blindsided by a blitzing Navy linebacker late in the season's final home game, shattering both the bone in his upper left arm and his hopes of leading the Irish to a bowl victory. First the cruise ship, then the sailor.

Powlus has come back strong from both injuries, but has somehow emerged from the hardships with a rather undesirable tag. "I can't help the label 'injury prone,'" muses Powlus. "I've been injured twice in three years."

"He's come back from both injuries," says backfield mate Edwards. "Those were freak things. It's not like he's injury prone, like he has little nagging injuries that keep bothering him all year. Those were unfortunate breaks, and he came back from them like it never happened. He still goes in there, throws his head down, and tries to run over somebody if need be. He's not scared of getting hurt, he's not injury prone, and I feel good with him back there."

Powlus himself feels good about being back there, but it hasn't been an easy road to recovery.

"The way I've dealt with it (the injuries) is I've tried to be as realistic as I could," says the battle--tested senior. "I broke my arm, I broke my collarbone -- there's nothing I can do about it. The support I got from my family, teammates, friends, and all the students helped out. I made it through. I mean, I was a miserable guy for a couple of weeks, no doubt about it, but then I realized it was a fact, and there was nothing I could do about it."

Nothing except wait. And watch.

Powlus is quick to admit the agony he felt in watching helpless on the sideline as the Irish's final drive stalled in the Miami humidity last January, and the team he was supposed to be leading fell to Florida State for the second time in three years. He is something else as well, however. He is, in a sense, thankful. Not for himself, but for his backup and friend Thomas Krug, who has since had to give up football due to an injury. "It was difficult to watch the game like that," says Powlus. "It was a totally helpless feeling. The one good thing that came out of it was Thomas Krug, and I'm unbelievably happy for him. I'm glad he got that shot, I'm glad he got to play, especially now, with all that's happened to him." Powlus pauses for a moment, and you know that somehow he is not completely happy. "But it was very tough," he says, "to watch the game and know there was nothing I could do about it." You get the feeling he likes to play. You get the feeling it's practically in his blood. The game of football must be in his blood. It has to be. If it wasn't, could he possibly have withstood the pressure for this long?

Powlus insists that he is happy here, that if he could do it all over again, he would still have chosen to come to Notre Dame, sacrificing the potential for gaudy numbers and personal glory for the chance to continue a great tradition. And the chance to win a championship. "I'm glad I'm here," says Powlus. "Without question. I could not imagine myself anywhere else. We've had ups and downs, we've had bad breaks, but I wouldn't change anything, except maybe the injuries. I don't care what kind of offense we run, as long as we win games. When you go to Notre Dame, you go to have a chance to win a National Championship. And that's why I came here."

You realize then how much winning means to this man, and you wonder if maybe he does in fact expect as much from himself as the others. You realize that nothing but a perfect season will really please either Powlus or his critics, and you remember where you are, this pressure--cooker of college athletics. But most of all, you remember his own words. "I am a perfectionist."

Then you start to think Ron Powlus is right where he belongs.

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