INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana’s sixth-year defensive back Noah Pierre committed to Indiana five and a half years ago because of one thing.
"Tom Allen."
When asked why he decided to stay with the Hoosiers after appearing in just five games across his first three seasons in Bloomington, Pierre's answer was the same.
“I believed in Coach Allen,” Pierre said Thursday at the Big Ten Football Media Days. “We always spoke a lot and he just told me to keep working and keep grinding.”
Pierre's bond with his head coach goes beyond football.
“He’s like a father figure to me," Pierre said. "He’s a great man, I came here when I was 18, I’m 23 now. He’s been a big part of me developing into a man.”
“Noah is a special, special young man," Allen said. "He’s the reason why I do what I do, to find special guys like that. To be able to bring a guy like that here and see him be rewarded for his perseverance is pretty cool. He’s always been a great kid and to see him stay the course and grow means a lot."
Growing up in South Florida, Pierre has always been undersized and overlooked. Pierre was listed at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds as a safety his senior season at Champagnat Catholic High School. Because of his small and slender frame, Pierre had four offers to play collegiate football — three of them from FBS schools.
It all happened so fast for Pierre. He committed to the Hoosiers in late December 2017. He took his official visit less than a month later and was enrolled at Indiana a week after his official visit.
“Coming up on my official visit it just felt like family, it felt right,” Pierre said. “I could really feel that ‘LEO’ mindset.”
Playing time didn’t come right away for Pierre in Bloomington. He redshirted the 2018 season and appeared almost exclusively on special teams over the next two years. As Indiana had two of its most successful seasons in program history in 2019 and 2020, Pierre was watching from the sideline.
“Sometimes you’re crying on the sideline," Pierre said. "You might even win a game and you’re still crying on the sideline because you didn’t play as much as you wanted to.”
The 2021 season began and once again Pierre found himself playing mainly on special teams. However, he continued forward with drive and determination, never quitting on his team.
“(My family) gave me all the tools that I needed before I even came to IU," Pierre said. "That determination, drive and perseverance, they had already instilled that in me. Indiana chose me and I chose them too. Leaving never really crossed my mind. I always wanted to make a point here and prove that I can be that player here.”
Pierre's loyalty was finally rewarded in Indiana's sixth game of the 2021 season against a top-ten team in the country, Michigan State. Indiana's starting corner's Reese Taylor and Tiawan Mullen were out with injuries, Pierre was the next man up. He finished the game tied for a team-high nine tackles. He had a tackle for a loss, a pass defended and an interception as well. Indiana lost the game, but Pierre had made his mark.
“There was just something about him, I knew he was special," Allen said. "He persevered three years, he stayed the course and he kept battling.”
Pierre's now ready to lead the Hoosiers' defense alongside the only other player from the 2018 recruiting class still left on the roster. Pierre and fellow sixth-year senior Aaron Casey, have taken similar paths to where they are now. They both redshirted their first years in Bloomington and both had to work and wait for their opportunity. Now, they'll lead the cream and crimson defense as captains for the 2023 season.
“We’ve been together every step of the way, having him in the locker room and by my side — even having him here today (at Media Days) — has been huge for me," Pierre said. "I know I always have a brother by my side.”
“We’ve been friends since our freshman year," Casey said. "Over these past few years we’ve been able to build more of a connection with each other and now we’re together all the time. He’s a guy I can trust with anything, having that connection is big time. It’s awesome to have him out there.”
Indiana's secondary was the worst in the Big Ten last season in terms of yards allowed. For the Hoosiers to have any success this season, something has to change defensively. A big part of improving on the defensive side of the ball is getting back to what made the group so successful in 2020.
“Getting takeaways was a big part of what we displayed in 2020," Pierre said. "Getting back to that will be big for us and we’ve got the guys to do it.”
Whether Indiana can turn it around defensively this season has yet to be seen. The secondary will be tested early on with a Week 1 matchup against Marvin Harrison Jr. and Ohio State.
Pierre and the Hoosiers know it will be a challenge, but it's one they are up for.
Pierre's rise through the ranks in Bloomington didn't happen overnight, he wasn't handed anything. Through many ups and downs, he stuck with the team and the coach that recruited him. Pierre was patient, persevering through tough times, he's now ready to represent and lead Indiana in 2023.
“It means everything to me to be here," Pierre said. “I'm extremely grateful because I know I earned it, it wasn’t given to me.”
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