Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman is disappointed for Charles Jagusah, not upset with him

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3 days ago

SOUTH BEND — Nearly four weeks after losing projected starting right guard Charles Jagusah to a broken humerus in his left arm, Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman shared his thoughts.
While some Irish fans were upset on social media with the fact Jagusah was riding a utility terrain vehicle on July 5 in Wyoming when he was injured, Freeman didn't seem to mind that part of the story.
'My reaction was devastation for the young man,' Freeman said Thursday after the first practice of fall camp. 'The first reaction isn't the team. It's not, 'Oh, my God, we just lost our starting right guard.' It's a care for that person that's gone through a lot.'
A torn pectoral muscle last August kept Jagusah out of the lineup until the final two games of the College Football Playoff. Now his return date is uncertain while the 6-foot-7, 333-pounder from Rock Island, Ill., rehabs from two recent procedures, including one to ensure the wound heals properly.
Third-year reserve Sullivan Absher worked with the first-team offensive line in Jagusah's place on Thursday.
'Once I knew he was OK, I wanted to know what happened and how it happened,' Freeman said. 'It was a group of 10-15 players. They were together. When I hear that, that's what you want. They're on a little break, and they're together.
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'I worry about the guys when you have a break and everybody goes on their own; they don't want to see each other. We preach unit strength. That's unit strength. You've got guys together hanging out.'
While Jagusah, also a redshirt sophomore, will be restricted to working on the side for a while, Freeman took an understanding view of the setback.
'It was just an unfortunate freak accident,' Freeman said. 'Had a little bit of bad luck, but he'll be fine. He'll be good. I don't want to ban them from having fun. I don't want to do that.'
Professional sports contracts typically ban activities deemed dangerous that fall outside the athlete's chosen field. Even though college athletes are semi-professional in this modern era, the fact that they aren't considered employees mitigates against such proscription of activities.
'I want them to hang out together, have fun and become a team,' Freeman said. 'That's probably more important than anything else. Part of becoming a team takes relationships and spending time together. That's really how I feel about that.'
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman discusses lineman's setback