A Recruiting Trip to Notre Dame

I’ve often wondered what it would be like to be an elite high school athlete and to have major universities desperately want me to come and play for them.  Unfortunately, because of a severe lack of talent, that was never going to happen to me.  Last weekend, however, I was able to go along with a highly recruited player from this state and see first-hand how at least one such institution treated those blessed with the requisite skills and athletic ability.  That school was Notre Dame, probably the most historic football power in the country and certainly the one with the richest tradition.  I might not have been the one being courted, but it was great fun to observe those who were and live vicariously through them, even if for a short time.

To set the scene, it was Notre Dame’s first night game in 21 years and it was being played against, arguably, their biggest rival, USC.  This was also the one weekend that the Fighting Irish had circled on their calendar as an opportune time to bring in a lot of the players that they were looking at for this year and beyond.  These were kids who all had double-digit offers from other elite football schools.  There were 16 players who arrived in South Bend last weekend who had offers from Notre Dame and another approximately 40 who were underclassmen and prime targets for next year or were high school seniors who might still get an offer this year, depending how the numbers worked out.  Finally, either the gods of Notre Dame’s past glory or Touchdown Jesus himself decided to bestow a perfect Midwest football weekend on the campus – one of those beautiful autumn weekends where the sun is shining brightly; the leaves are wearing their multi-colored splendor prior to falling and there is just a hint of winter coolness in the air.  In fact, because of the night game, there was more than a hint of winters bite in the air by the time the game’s final play had been played.

As most football fans will already know, Notre Dame lost the game.  This, however, is not a story about the game.  It’s about the activities leading up to the game and about the kids who were coming to check out Notre Dame football.  If you’ve ever found yourself in South Bend, Indiana, on a home game weekend then you probably know how all-encompassing the game is on the city and, in particular, the campus.  The population of South Bend is a little more than 100,000.  The number of people tailgating somewhere on the campus on game day is estimated at around 120,000.  People come from near and far to participate.  Last Saturday as I walked through the throng of tailgaters, I was struck by the sheer numbers of people who had decided to spend such a beautiful fall day on a parking lot with friends and family.  The grills were turning out heaps of cooked meat and other delectable looking fare and the liquid refreshments were ever present, but most noticeable was the camaraderie.  Despite the many USC people moving among them, I saw no arguments and even several groups who welcomed the Southern Californians among them and were plying them with food.

The Notre Dame stadium holds a little over 80,000.  Obviously there are not enough seats for the 120,000 who are tailgating and the others who were just coming for the game.  Many of the people in those parking lots simply pack up and go home to watch the game on their home TVs.  Others stay and watch in their RV on big screens they’ve purchased just for such games.  Another large group descends on the book store to buy memorabilia and clothing.  We were told that the book store makes over one million dollars each home game day.  If that figure is correct, wow.  Inside the stadium, fans are as passionate as any I’ve ever observed anywhere.  Their one obsession is to help root their team to victory.  They’re loud and proud and let everyone know it.  Special cheers and chants almost reminded me of a highly-attended soccer match.

The high school recruits weren’t there to enjoy the festive tailgating atmosphere directly, however.  They were kept busy meeting various school and team representatives who answered questions about the curriculum and playing time and anything else that was on their minds.  In between, they were treated to a barbecue and given plenty of time to wander around the Guglielmino Athletics Complex (The Gug) that contained Heisman Trophy information, team trophies and Notre Dame legends of yesteryear as well as statues of famous Notre Dame players and coaches like the Four Horsemen and Knute Rockne.

A while before game time the players, dressed in suits and ties, filed into “The Gug” from buses for a pre-game meeting which was also attended by the recruits.  Meanwhile, the throngs of tailgaters and others who were there to watch and/or just support the team began lining up along the ¾ mile route that the players would walk to the stadium, still in their suits and ties.  Then, after their meeting, the players, coaches and the recruits and those who had accompanied them there walked the corridor that by then was thronged with thousands upon thousands of supporters, all shouting encouragement.  It was an amazing sight.  As I walked along with the recruits at the back of the pack, the fans called out to them.   Many knew their names and pleaded with them to sign to play with Notre Dame.  High-fives and fist bumps prevailed even for the unknowns, like myself, who were walking along with them.  For kids, many who were far from home, it was quite a powerful experience.  Here were thousands of strangers who obviously knew who they were and were strongly imploring them to come and play at Notre Dame.  I was ready to sign on the dotted line.  Fortunately, no one offered me a dotted line to sign on.

At the stadium, the players went directly to the locker room to dress for the game and the recruits and those who had accompanied them were led to a separate meeting room.  There, Notre Dame coaches explained that they were looking for players who had great character, were good students and citizens and who were looking for a first-rate education.  Notre Dame, it was pointed out, graduated over 98% of its players.  This was a focus for them.  A Notre Dame scholarship, they were told, is worth $60,000 a year.  At the end, Head Coach Brian Kelly appeared and gave a passionate speech about his intentions to return Notre Dame to its once lofty level.  The meeting then broke up and the recruits and others were allowed to go on the field before the game while the players were warming up. By this time, many of the screaming fans who had lined the marching route were now inside the stadium and the buzz was electric.  Just before the game we were all ushered up into the stands to an area set aside for the recruits.  After the game, the recruits joined the players in the dressing room and then accompanied their host player/s to discuss what it was like to play for Notre Dame.  It was the end of a long day that had started with a redeye flight from, in our case, Seattle and wouldn’t end until the wee small hours of the morning.

Not having gone on other recruiting trips, I can’t compare this trip to any others.  Certainly, all schools have different pluses and minuses.  Notre Dame had many pluses and a few minuses, depending of course on what a recruit was looking for in a school.  First of all, there was the school spirit that emanated throughout the campus.  The whole Rah, Rah, Sis, Boom, Bah attitude that you might equate with Midwestern college football, at least football from a bygone era.  Then there was the special attention paid to the recruits by the football staff and the students assigned to assist.  No opportunity to welcome the players and offer assistance was overlooked by these helpers who all seemed to have been pulled from central casting.  And, who hasn’t heard of Touchdown Jesus and the Golden Dome, famous symbols of Notre Dame Football?  Backs were slapped and hands were shaken every five minutes and every effort was expended to assure that the recruits enjoyed their trip.  It was also apparent that Notre Dame was very conscious of doing things completely above-board.  There would be no recruiting violations during this visit.  From the minute a plane touched down there was someone from Notre Dame there to walk the player through the process.  But, the Notre Dame experience isn’t for everyone.  It’s total immersion in Fighting Irish football and tradition, and it is a private religious university that requires some basic commitments not found at all schools.  It is, however, something to be experienced, if only once.  It is an experience that I will remember for a long time.  Dick Kalla