The first time that I met Lou was in May 1986

when he addressed the ND Club of Washington, DC.

A priest delivered the invocation. When Lou spoke, he said "Father, my wife and I thought that we had done a good job of raising our son in the Catholic faith, until one day I said to him - 'Skip, how would you like to be an altar boy?' Skip said - 'Sure, how much does it pay?"

When Lou began his speech, he said "I knew that you ND alumni would be a tough bunch, but I didn't realize how tough, until I walked into the hotel and someone said to me, "What's the matter with you? You've been the ND coach for six months and you haven't won a game yet!"

In the Q & A, someone asked Lou if Tim Brown would have a big role in the offense. Lou replied, "Unless the opposing team intercepts the snap from center, we're going to get the ball in the hands of Tim Brown."

After Lou's speech, when we were leaving the hotel ballroom, everyone was commenting, "Wow, have we got a special coach!"

God bless you, Lou! The prayers of ND Nation are storming heaven on your behalf.