How can I take such great pride in descending from nothing outwardly special? Cast off from Ireland, dirt-poor, largely illiterate, and with little more than hope, my relatives struggled to make a new life for themselves and their kids here in the new world. And in the face of "Irish need not apply" and other indignities, there was something magical that came across on the radio every fall, something that they could take great pride in. That not one of them had ever been to Indiana, let alone much outside of Boston, didn't matter. ND football was an uplifting spirit, and a spirit is never bound by place.How can I take such great pride in descending from nothing outwardly special? Because inwardly, my grandfather and his generation had great pride, and, in part, ND football gave them that pride.
For this, though no one in my family has ever attended Notre Dame, we will always remain in its debt.