Celebrating South Bend and Notre Dame
This video features Peyton and Eli Manning’s visit to Notre Dame to explore the legacy of legendary football coach Knute Rockne, accompanied by current Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and Brady Quinn. I also saw Marist Liufau and a few others in there…
This message from Riley Leonard to his Notre Dame family is worth keeping. On December 18 he posted:
“We’re done being afraid of anything — I know that much about this team. I know that, win or lose, we’re going to do it our way: We’re going to dare greatly.” Go to the source to read the entire post but you might need to get a box of Kleenex first: A Message For My Notre Dame Family | By Riley Leonard
A scant 133 days ago, after the loss to Northern Illinois some of his ‘Notre Dame family’ would have gladly put his head on a spike right next to Marcus Freeman’s in the middle of the God quad and yet he kept his head while everyone else was losing theirs. Rudyard Kipling could have been thinking of Riley when he authored his immortal poem “If”…
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise…
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!”
Source: Quote by Rudyard Kipling: “If you can keep your head when all about you A…”
No matter what happens Monday — even if an errant throw costs us the game — Riley Leonard will go down in my mind as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Notre Dame history not because of his arm or his legs, but because of his heart, his head, and his character. He is the spirit of Notre Dame!
Digger Phelps, a name synonymous with Notre Dame basketball, made an indelible mark during his tenure as head coach from 1971 to 1991. Renowned for his charismatic personality and tactical brilliance, Phelps transformed the Fighting Irish into a national powerhouse.
Under his guidance, Notre Dame achieved significant milestones, including a historic 1974 victory over the unbeaten UCLA Bruins, ending their 88-game winning streak. This iconic moment solidified Phelps’s legacy and showcased his ability to inspire his players to reach unprecedented heights.
Phelps’s coaching philosophy revolved around teamwork, discipline, and a fierce competitive spirit, traits that resonated with his players and fans alike. Beyond his coaching achievements, he was known for his engaging presence in the media, captivating audiences with his insights and enthusiasm for the game.
Even after retiring from coaching, Phelps continued to be a prominent figure in the sports community, often sharing his passion for basketball and the importance of education with young athletes.
As we reflect on Digger Phelps’s contributions to Notre Dame and college basketball, his legacy remains a testament to the power of leadership, dedication, and the love of the game.
In a game where Notre Dame scored five touchdowns, it was one the Fighting Irish didn’t score that might have been the most important one.
“What was the referees’ explanation for why the flag was thrown? The NBC broadcast crew noted that since Kiser took the snap from close to center, the offensive linemen lined up needed to be wearing numbers 50-79 to be in legal position. On a traditional punt formation, the offensive linemen blocking can be any number combination.” In other words, we got jobbed by the Zebras!
Source: Fake punt that was called back ‘was just like a spark’ for Notre Dame football Saturday
I’m thoroughly enjoying the book Unbeatable by Jerry Barca. It’s the story of the 1988 football season. I’ve always admired Lou Holtz but I didn’t realize that he was responsible for a couple of Notre Dame’s greatest game day traditions:
“George Stewart walked into the maintenance shop in the Athletic and Convocation Center and handed Laurie Wenger a piece of paper. Stewart was acting on the direction of Holtz, who wanted a sign up in the locker room tunnel. The players would tap it as they headed to the field. Wenger looked at the paper and the five words PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY. The South Bend native’s job was to paint signs for functions. Some routine assignments included painting game balls and signs for Junior Parents Weekend. This project took her about a week to complete. Her co-workers cut a three-foot by four-foot piece of wood. Wenger primed it and then painted it in a yellow-gold. She let the color dry and then used blue paint to brush on the phrase in all capital letters. Notre Dame lore has it that shortly after Holtz became the head coach he went through books on Fighting Irish football history and found a photo of the sign. However, nobody, including former coaches, remembered it being posted anywhere. Regardless of where the photo came from, the Notre Dame players who left the locker room to take on No. 3 Michigan in ’86 were the first to touch the sign.
Barca, Jerry. Unbeatable: Notre Dame’s 1988 Championship and the Last Great College Football Season (pp. 56-57). St. Martin’s Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.”
Continue reading “Lou Holtz and Traditions”
Yes, this press release is from 2001 but it sums up the Jim Flanigan, Jr. I know nicely…
“Former Notre Dame football standout Jim Flanigan was named co-winner of the Walter Payton National Football League Man of the Year Award, which recognizes community service as well as playing excellence. Flanigan is the third Notre Dame graduate to win the award, joining Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann (’82) and Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson (’87). Past winners includes 12 members of the Hall of Fame.
Flanigan, an anchor of the Chicago Bears defensive line for seven years, makes a difference with the James Flanigan Foundation, which raises awareness of child literacy through efforts such as the Great American Book Drive, which delivers more than 700,000 books to 400,000 underprivileged children.
His programs include Reach Out & Read Chicago, the Flanigan Foundation Literacy Advocate Award, Mission 99, the James and Susan Flanigan Endowed Scholarship at Notre Dame, and the Jim Flanigan Charity Golf Outing.
Continue reading “Jim Flanigan, Jr.”
Marcus Freeman certainly bought the heat himself on a 90-degree night at Texas A&M.
‘This doesn’t work if you do it every week.
It works when a head coach saves it for the right time and when a coach, most importantly, is SINCERE about it.
Freeman says he can’t worry about being someone else but instead has to be himself in order to have success as Notre Dame’s head coach.
From the way things went and how Notre Dame reacted in a hostile environment, it’s clear this team would walk through the gates of hell for the real Marcus Freeman.”
Source: See Notre Dame Head Coach’s Epic Entrance to Texas A&M Game
James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua speaks to the Notre Dame Football team during fall camp in this excerpt from Here Come The Irish.
Under exuberant coach, Knute Rockne, Notre Dame set the standards for football excellence. But off the field, the Fighting Irish was a PR sensation, capturing the hearts of a riveted nation…
Can we agree? There is no greatness like NOTRE DAME greatness!
Welcome to Notre Dame 