By Pk Bartley
Hard-hitting to the bone is one way to describe Brian Gaines, a safety for the University of Louisville football team. Gaines, who is a senior, has steadily improved his game each year that he has been at U of L. “I have gotten a lot stronger and faster on the field,” Gaines said. “I have learned more about the game every year and how to read keys on what receivers are going to do.” In his career at U of L, Gaines has seen playing time at the bandit position and on special teams.
Gaines has earned a reputation of being a big hitter because he plays with reckless abandonment out on the field. “You really can’t learn how to play like that,” Gaines said, “It is a instinct. When the ball is in the air, it is all just about getting to the ball. When you get there you have so much speed you just go run straight toward them.”
At 5′ 8″, Gaines is not one of the biggest players on the team; however, he does not think that his size is a disadvantage to him. Gaines feels that, because of his size, teams underestimate what he can do on the field.
“They come at me more because of my size, but I know my skills and my skill level.”
Gaines and the rest of the Cards’ defense has a list of 10 goals for each game. They know that if they meet some of those 10 objectives then the team will win. The biggest of the goals that they have is to win the turnover battle. Gaines believes if the team wins the turnover battle in every game, then they will win the game itself.
Though he is not a starter on the defensive squad, Gaines brings depth to the secondary. “He is a role player for us,” defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chris Smeland said. “When teams bring a extra wideout onto the field, we bring Brian in to play nickel back for us. He provides some quality play for us and he is very knowledgeable about the position he plays, and he plays it hard as well.” As for any personal goals, Gaines just wants to play his role on the team, whether it be on special teams or as a nickel back or wherever else he is needed.
Even though this week brings a rematch against Colorado State, Gaines is not looking at the game as a chance to get some revenge for last year’s Liberty bowl loss. He feels that he and the team play hard in the same way for every game. So he is approaching the game as just any other game that the Cards must win.
Since Gaines began school at U of L, his main goal has been to get his degree in sports administration. And it is also a goal that he has already accomplished. After his final year at U of L, Gaines will go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he has a job waiting for him at a flag and banner company where he will be a marketer. His plans then will be to start a family.
However, before that, Gaines has some more football to play and his plans are to help the Cards renew their Conference USA championship.
