Joe Germaine knows what it takes to be a successful quarterback at Ohio State.
The former Ohio State signal-caller threw for 6,370 yards and 56 touchdowns for the Buckeyes from 1996-98 before being picked in the fourth round in the 1999 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.
Now, Germaine is a high school football coach in Arizona. He spent two years helping to groom 2022 Ohio State quarterback commit Devin Brown, coaching Brown in his sophomore and junior seasons at Queen Creek High School in Queen Creek, Arizona, before Brown moved out of state to play for Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) in his senior year.
Germaine spoke with Eleven Warriors about Brown as a prospect, what it will be like seeing his former pupil play for his alma mater and more.
This interview has been edited slightly for length and clarity.
Q: From an on-field perspective, obviously Devin's arm talent is raw and explosive and stands out, but what's your perception of what kind of player Devin is from the two years you've spent coaching him?
Joe Germaine: I think he's just a dynamic player. What's really neat to see is watching him develop as an athlete. I think like you said, his arm talent was evident the first time we saw him, but in a short 18 months, we've seen this kid can run, this kid can jump, he's athletic and explosive. I think he's really developed athletically. I think really all-around, he can really do anything you ask him to do. I think he's going to be that guy that can push the ball down the field and be a pocket guy, but he can you make you pay and extend plays with his athleticism. That can really hurt defenses.
Q: Being a former college quarterback yourself, what sort of advice have you given Devin about taking that step to the next level?
Germaine: Well, there's not a lot of quarterbacks with the arm talent that Devin has, but those that do, they can rely on it. Sometimes as you move up in levels and you go to college or the pros when that playing field starts to level out, you can't rely on that anymore. So just constantly working on him as a passer rather than a thrower. Really told him to work on the above-the-neck side of the game, so he can anticipate things and be in rhythm and focus on passing the ball rather than just throwing it.
Q: Did you see any area of his game where he really took the next step from where he was as a quarterback as a sophomore to where he is now?
Germaine: Absolutely. He came into the offensive system that we ran when he was a sophomore, it was brand new to him with brand new verbiage. It's like he was learning a different language, it was different from what he knew in the past. It was more of a pro-style system that we put him in, where everybody traditionally does the spread and no-huddle. We were different than that. Kind of like the previous question when I mentioned the above the neck, I just saw a huge jump in his command and his football knowledge, the way he can interpret and understand schemes and be able to apply that from a classroom setting to on the field. I saw a huge jump in that.
Q: What kind of leader is he? What's his relationship like with all the guys? Is he more of a lead by example guy or is he a pretty charismatic individual?
Germaine: What I love about Devin the most is what I noticed the first time I saw him in person as a freshman. His first day on campus in our program, he went to a weight class with all of our upperclassmen, he doesn't know these guys and he's just a freshman, the way that he handled himself in that situation with how charismatic he is and how genuine he is, this is what I think really sets him apart from most guys is a genuine leadership that people are really drawn to. He really has that aura to him and it's so impressive.
Q: He was committed to USC for more than a year. When do you first hear that he may be interested in your alma mater?
Germaine: I think once the coaching changes started to take place at USC, that's when the topic of decommitting and looking into other options started. It was like should we look into that, should we wait and see who they hire, all that sort of stuff. There was the question of is there a better opportunity for him because of what happened. It was really right around that time (when I heard about OSU).
Q: Either before or after his commitment, did Devin ever ask you about your experience playing for the Buckeyes and what that's like?
Germaine: I talked with his family about it and talked with his dad. Yeah, absolutely. The experience that I had was unbelievable. It's an unbelievable place, as you know. It was great to speak with them about my experiences.
Q: What's it going to be like seeing Devin potentially play for your alma mater and being able to say 'Hey, I coached this guy?'
Germaine: Oh man. It's going to be unbelievable, surreal, even. Hey, maybe there's a good little Arizona pipeline that we need to look into a little more as Buckeyes for that quarterback position. I know we lost Jack Miller III, but it's awesome and I'm so happy for Devin. And for Ohio State because I know they're getting an amazing young man that does the right things, is extremely talented and is awesome in the locker room. I also know that Devin is getting something amazing too, because nobody can beat what Ohio State has to offer on and off the field.
Q: He recently posted on Twitter that his truck was covered in snow and he'll be driving in it for the first time. Obviously, he'll be heading to the Midwest and it's a little colder there than what he's used to in Arizona. Have you talked about that with him at all?
Woke up to this funny white stuff on my truck. First time for this AZ native driving in snow. Any pointers? pic.twitter.com/6RTEzZkZ4O
— Devin Brown (@dbrownqb33) December 10, 2021
Germaine: Yeah, that was part of the thing I loved most about being in Columbus. I loved the weather difference compared to what I grew up with in Arizona. I think it'll be the same for him. I think the experience he had of going to Utah this previous year is good for him, it's almost like a prep period of getting somewhat closer to what it might be like up there.
Q: You said you ran a traditional pro-style offense with him, it looked like he ran a more traditional shotgun spread offense in his senior year. He seemed to thrive in both offenses. Does that speak to him being a quarterback that can run any offense a coach wants to?
Germaine: He has a really wide skillset that allows him to flourish in whatever it is. I think the important thing is at Ohio State there's great coaches, obviously coach Day and coach Dennis do a great job on the offensive side of the ball, particularly with quarterbacks. Devin responds really well to guys he has strong relationships with. He's going to flourish no matter what the system is.
Q: What would you say to an Ohio State fan that maybe isn't all that familiar with Devin about what kind of person he is and what Ohio State is going to get with him?
Germaine: First of all from the player side of things, they're going to get a quarterback who is as athletic and as gifted as a thrower of the football as you're ever going to get. But then most importantly, you're going to get a young man who on and off the field is going to represent the university and the tradition of Ohio State football as good as anyone.
