A Response For Riley Leonard

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!

4 Reasons Why 2023/4 was the academic ‘Year of Women Rising’ at Notre Dame

The last academic year was a great year for women at Notre Dame — here’s why:

The Notre Dame Fight Song was changed

In a historic move honoring the 50th year of co-ed admissions, the University of Notre Dame recently updated its iconic Fight Song to embrace and celebrate the achievements of women within its community by adding “and daughters” to the most beloved fight song of all time. This change reflects the growing recognition of female athletes and their contributions to the university’s rich sports culture. By incorporating lines that honor the accomplishments of female athletes, including those from the women’s basketball team and the newly appointed female football leprechaun, the updated Fight Song serves not only as a rallying cry for all Notre Dame supporters but also as a powerful symbol of inclusivity and progress. This evolution in tradition highlights the university’s commitment to gender equality and recognizes the pivotal role that women play in shaping Notre Dame’s legacy.

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Lou Holtz and Traditions

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:

The Sign

“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”

Notre Dame drops a Deuce

Well, we finally know what we suspected all along; Deuce Knight might be playing for Auburn next year. Might? Tyler Wojciak (who I think has the best Notre Dame podcast out there) did a great job of summarizing the career arc of college quarterbacks going back to 2019 and the results might be surprising to you. Listen in starting at about 5:00 and see a summary of his comments below:

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Jim Flanigan, Jr.

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.

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Everything You Need to Know About Notre Dame’s Quiet Leader Sonia Citron

I am an unapologetic Sonia Citron fan. When it comes to standout players in college basketball, the spotlight often shines on those with flashy plays and outspoken personalities. However, every team also has its quiet leader, the one who may not seek the limelight but whose impact on the game is undeniable. For the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, that leader is Sonia Citron.

Continue reading “Everything You Need to Know About Notre Dame’s Quiet Leader Sonia Citron”

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