Casey, Pierre Define IU Grit as Team Captains
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sometimes, if you’re Tom Allen, you need an example to show what Indiana football is about -- the toughness, the resiliency, the heart. You need physical confirmation so your players understand, even in these instant-gratification times, that patience is rewarded if you work, push, persevere, and perform.
You need, in fact, players such as Aaron Casey and Noah Pierre, six-year standouts who are among this season’s five team captains in part because they didn’t let disappointment define them.
“I love talking about them,” Allen says. “You see two young men who have been in this program for a long time, and who are now rewarded with being captains. One of the greatest awards you can get is being voted by your teammates in that role.”
Casey has emerged as one of the Big Ten’s best linebackers. Pierre is poised for a breakthrough defensive-back role. They attended last month’s Big Ten football kickoff event in Indianapolis because they represented, in so many ways, the best of Allen’s Love Each Other program.
“They went to Big Ten media days for a reason,” Allen says. “Now they’re voted as captains. It’s awesome.”
Casey and Pierre stuck it out when they were redshirted in their first season, and then stuck it out when they had limited roles a couple of seasons after that.
“They’ve had to be patient and wait,” Allen says. “They had to have a lot of grit and passion toward long-term goals. They are the definition of grit we use in this program. They’re two pictures of that. When your better players are guys like that who work hard and set the tone, who set the example every day, it makes a difference.”
Pierre has become a difference-maker the last two seasons, totaling 75 tackles with 13 starts. His fall camp performance suggests a potential monster final season.
Allen says he talked about Pierre with the Hoosiers during a recent meeting.
“I gave his story. He didn’t start until the Michigan State game of his fourth year. He redshirted out of high school, then was special teams the first two years after that. He wanted to play sooner. He and I talked about that many times. He was frustrated. It’s a testament to his perseverance.”
Pierre has emerged as an energetic, vocal leader. He showcased that during Tuesday’s practice.
“He’s a very passionate guy,” Allen says. “I grabbed him during practice and told him, this is who you are. When you play with this kind of passion, it’s infectious to everybody else. That’s the standard we have to have.”
Casey has a similar journey. After a redshirt season, he had five, 15, and 25 tackles over the next three years in a reserve role. Last season, when standout linebacker Cam Jones went down with an injury, Casey took over and finished with a team-leading 86 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss to earn All-Big Ten honors.
“He had that gradual progression,” Allen says. “He didn’t have a very good 2021 season, came back and everything elevated in 2022, especially when Cam Jones went down. That forced him into a leadership role and put pressure on him to make plays. You could see that growth.”
Both are positioned to showcase that growth during the Sept. 2 season opener against Ohio State at Memorial Stadium.
“I’m excited for them,” Allen says. “They represent us in a high-level way on and off the field. They’re both graduates. They’re both first-class people. They’re hard workers. They’re tough. They make plays. They’ve learned to lead.”
They aren’t the only ones. Other team captains are wide receiver Cam Camper, offensive lineman Mike Katic, and defensive end Andre Carter.
This is Katic’s sixth season. He’s played in 27 games with 25 starts. Carter is in his first Hoosier season after transferring from Western Michigan last January. Camper will start his second IU season after transferring from a Texas junior college. He led the Hoosiers in catches (46) and receiving yards (569) in seven games last season before a season-ending knee injury. He’s back at full strength.
“I’m excited to have those five guys representing our program,” Allen says. “They are well deserving.
“Andre came here in January and earned the respect of his teammates with his work ethic and performance. Cam is a picture of resilience and grit and toughness. Mike Katic continues to improve and step into a role of leadership.
“They are an awesome group of young men.”