Back to that Iowa game in '48 when Iowa got into their first lead my heart started racing so badly that I had to bring the radio in from the back yard to a bed where I listened to the rest of it wondering whether the stress would kill me. After about an hour my heart returned to it's normal beat and I was sad and happy. Sad that we only got a tie but relieved because nobody,and I mean nobody beat ND in those days.

When you're spoiled with ND almost always being the best in your youth, it's hard to accept even one little old defeat. Since those days I've seen great times and sad times but just when you thought you might never see another NC one came along in '88. I hope to see another but if I do it will because many of you have spread the word that there is something special about ND. You shouldn't even have to explain it but if you spread the word around properly many of you youngsters may have some of the highest highs in the world. There are very few things that are better than a NC at ND. The ND fight song cheers me much in the same manner that it did when I first heard it. And as Johnny Mathis sang that's a long, long time. The song was Twelth of Never. I met the man who wrote that. His words resonate and make you think that's how long it will be before ND is back on top but it doesn't have to be that way.