Grit and Perseverance has Lead to Noah Pierre Becoming IU's Starting Husky

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Indiana husky Noah Pierre has done everything IU and the coaching staff has asked of him. They needed him to play corner last year because of injury, he slid over from safety and fit in nicely. This year IU wants to have their best players on the field at the same time and that means moving Pierre to IU’s nickel position called ‘Husky’. It’s a move that Pierre loves.

“I came here to play nickel as well. You know like our Husky spot is basically a nickel. So I love it. I love being able to cover like a corner. I love being able to blitz and run fits and all that so I love Husky.” Pierre gushed after practice on Thursday.

Indiana safeties coach Jason Jones explained why the IU plan was when they went back to the drawing board in the spring.

“When we looked at it in the spring, it was about trying to get the best 11 guys on the field. We knew that Noah Pierre had really taken a step and we wanted to find a way to get him on the field. The best way to get him on the field was to move Fitz back to free safety.” Jones explained.

Pierre’s journey to the starting lineup hasn’t been an easy one. It has taken patience and hard work.

Pierre came to IU as a three-star recruit with no Power Five offers besides Indiana. His original recruiter, Noah Joseph left IU, soon after he signed.

After playing in just one game in 2018 as a true freshman and bounced around to different positions. Pierre was frustrated to the point of meeting with both head coach Tom Allen and his position coaches.

“I think he's a great testament to perseverance and grit.” Allen said of Pierre. “I know there was a point in time that he was frustrated, you know, and came to see me and came to see his position coach, and a couple years ago.”

Allen has even used Pierre as an example for his underclassmen as to what can happen if you trust the process and buy in, he has even set up meeting for freshmen with Pierre to tell his story.

“As a matter of fact, we got a young, one of our true freshmen that's kind of going through the same (thing).” Allen explained. “He's been here since January and and you're still trying to find his way and my Hey, we had to meet with Noah and just talk about, hey, tell him your story. Talk to him about your perspective on the ability to persevere and he was a couple of years before he got a chance to, to get on the field.”

That grit and perseverance paid off as Pierre has played in 30 of the next 33. Prior to 2021, Pierre had to wait behind players like Jamar Johnson and others at safety. His patience started to pay off in 2021 as the secondary was decimated by injury.

Last season Pierre started six games and played in 12. He recorded his first career interception against Michigan State and ended the year with 43 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby holds Pierre in high regard because of his dedication to the team in an era when it is so easy to take another path to playing time.

“I'll tell you what, man, that's one guy I'm so proud of because this journey here has been a tough journey.” Shelby said. “And everybody writes about Taiwan (Mullen). But if anybody looks, how many time he was in different positions, and how many times he had to move around, and really, he did, it would have given hard. He could have been selfish, right? And he chose a team and I pray and I hope that he gets everything he deserves. Because he's done everything I asked him to do in the middle of the season.”

After four seasons of putting in the work, doing what the team needed to do and bouncing around positions, Pierre has found his way into the starting lineup. He was so valuable to the team that they moved Bryant Fitzgerald to free safety in order to get him on the field.

Now Pierre has a chance to channel all that frustration, all the experience he gained from playing both safety and cornerback and put it on display every Saturday s the Hoosiers new starting Husky.