Borel comes full circle as Senior Day arrives
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2008 began a little bit differently for wiry sophomore Diondre Borel, from Oakley, Calif. Soft spoken and unassuming, he laced up his cleats and put on his helmet to a flurry of butterflies and anxious tension, then trotted out into the crisp air of Romney Stadium like he had been doing for each of Utah State’s home games since arriving in the college town earlier that year.
But today wasn’t just any other day for Diondre Borel.
Today was his first career start as a quarterback. Not a wide receiver, as he had played on USU’s scout team the year before, and not an athlete, but a bona fide college quarterback, playing in front of thousands of cheering fans against a conference rival.
The foe was Idaho, and Borel, in what would be the beginning of one of the most distinguished careers in Utah state history, would lead the Aggies to a resounding 42-17 win over Idaho.
31 consecutive starts later, Borel prepares to lace up his cleats one final time and take the jog out into the crisp air of Romney Stadium to make his final home start. The foe will be Idaho, and for the player who has been the face of Utah State football for the better part of three years, no result could be better than to duplicate his three-touchdown day against the Vandals that September.
“I want to win big and keep the winning streak going for everybody – the whole Utah State family and everybody that support us,” Borel said. “That will be big for us, the last home game going out with a win.”
To understand what Borel has meant to the Aggie football program over the past three years is to understand the maturation of both a player and a program. Facing ups and downs, Borel’s story reads like a metaphor for Utah State football, which has grown from a delicate state in 2008 and come into its own with former Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen at the helm.
“Diondre has come a long way since we have been here, on and off the field,” Andersen said.
“He is a great person every single day. He means a lot to this program and he will always mean a lot to this program.”
Andersen said Borel’s junior season was exceptional in terms of the quarterback’s ability to overcome the “athlete” label that dogged him as a freshman and sophomore. Previously known more for his edge-of-your-seat scrambling ability, Borel began an unrelenting ascent up the Utah state record books for total offense in 2009 while becoming one of the Western Athletic Conference’s most efficient passers. But for all the plays he made in leading USU to a 4-8 season, Borel’s experience on the field didn’t make him the leader he is today. That leadership – the kind that defines programs and makes one’s legacy truly memorable – has come this year, as Borel has rallied an injury-riddled and youthful USU team following setback after setback since their promising start.
“What he has done on the field is exceptional, but the best thing I can say about Diondre is him not being phased on the field shows his character, toughness and his ability to play with a team and keep on fighting,” Andersen said.
Andersen said Borel has never said one negative thing about the youthful nature of USU’s roster, and has been the consummate teammate throughout his senior season, even when the team’s youthfulness has caused those around him to struggle.
“There have been a bunch of times where he could hang his head and say ‘How about catching the ball,’ or ‘How about running the right route’ or ‘protecting me,'” Andersen said. “There a lot of things he could have said but he never did it. He just talked about getting better and to keep fighting. A lot of times he turns around and points at himself and says ‘I need to be better, I’ve got this and I will battle and make this team better.'”
Borel has made USU better, and he’s done so at a critical junction in the season. Last week against San Jose State, Borel made a critical fourth-down conversion on USU’s final drive, allowing the Aggies to eventually score on a Derrvin Speight touchdown run. The score would prove decisive in the 38-34 win, as the Aggies held on to win back-to back games for the first time in the Andersen era. With a 4-6 record, USU’s slim-bowl hopes remain alive, thanks in no small part to the play offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin calls his “favorite memory” out of Borel’s lengthy list of accomplishments.
“Fourth quarter, fourth down, and he makes a guy miss for a crucial first down,” Baldwin said.
“A normal guy, it’s hands up, games over. (But) Diondre scrambles – linebacker has him in his sight – linebacker is on the ground and Diondre has got 14 yards and a first down and the Aggies are on their way to win.”
Borel has always been a softspoken leader, but has come more into his own in holding himself and the team accountable throughout this year. Whether he has been outspoken in the huddle or not, Borel’s resilient attitude over the last two games has more than validated his confidence leadership style.
“His ability on the field has done that, but he’s talked to them about playing well and winning and having the confidence,” Baldwin said. “He hasn’t come out and emotionally done anything, but he’s talked to them quietly like he’s done as a leader and told them, ‘we’ve got to play well.'”
Borel is modest when talking about his on-field accomplishments, and said this maturation from the unsure sophomore athlete to the seasoned, heady senior quarterback has been his legacy at USU thusfar.
“I’ve learned a lot from the coaches who’ve come and have just been helped by so many coaches and all the players who’ve come here,” Borel said. “As a person I feel like I’ve grown as a man and understand certain things, from what happens on the field to just everything since I’ve been at Utah State.”
Despite his accomplishments – which include being USU’s single season record holder in total offense (3,343 in 2008), rushing yards by a quarterback (632 in 2008), and fewest interceptions thrown (four in 2009) – Borel said his legacy remains incomplete, and will ultimately be defined by how the Aggies finish out their final two games against Idaho and Boise State. It’s an attitude with which Borel’s offensive coordinator couldn’t agree more.
“Our thoughts are to go out and win,” Baldwin said. “We still got a shot in this thing, and the important thing is for us to win and for him to play well. It’s his last home game – but it’s more important that we win this game. Then he’ll have a lot of memories about it.”
Borel has had a long and distinguished career at USU, and with his road about to come to an end, it’s fitting his last home game comes not only against the team it began against, but under circumstances that will hopefully carry the Aggie program to new heights.
“It’s just been a long road since I’ve been here,” he said. “I feel like everything is starting to happen right now. We’ve grown as a team – that’s how you take steps, by winning. You learn from the losses and you learn from the wins and try to just move on.”
– adam.nettina@aggiemail.usu.edu