Notre Dame Practicing at Father Ryan High

Nashville's Father Ryan High School is hosting the "real" Fighting Irish for football practice these next few days -- leading up to next Tuesday's Music City Bowl.  Here's a couple of photographs from this afternoon's first practice session -- along with photos of the team's arrival at Nashville International Airport and the first team meeting...

Father Ryan High was founded in 1925 as the Nashville Catholic High School for Boys.

Golson & Zaire on Notre Dame QB Competition

Here's Notre Dame QBs Everett Golson and Malik Zaire -- talking about the competition:

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON

LINK:  MALIK ZAIRE

Coming to a Shamrock Series Game Near You?

Got to love the creativity in the Under Armour All-America Game "gear" -- helmet, uniform, shoes, gloves and base layer -- the top high school players will be wearing next week in Orlando...

Can't wait to see what Under Armour will do for Notre Dame at next year's Shamrock Series Game -- with a year to plan.

Notre Dame Football Headed to Nashville Today

The Fighting Irish will be arriving in Nashville today for the Music City Bowl -- from all over the country.  The official travel party is boarding a Delta 747 this hour (photo above) in South Bend -- and the players will be arriving at Nashville International Airport on flights from their hometowns all morning long...

The IRISH will hold their first practice in Nashville today at 4:30 PM CT

Merry Christmas From Notre Dame!

Thought you'd enjoy hearing Katherine Jenkins and IL DIVO perform OH HOLY NIGHT -- one of my favorites!

Merry Christmas!!!

LINK:  OH HOLY NIGHT

OT: Pretty Cool Moment With Tennessee FB

Butch Jones -- who is a fellow Ferris State alumnus -- surprised a member of his Tennessee Volunteer football team with a great Christmas present...

LINK:  WATCH THIS

Who Doesn't Belong In This Photograph...?

The guy in the red jersey -- Aaron Lynch, who left Notre Dame after his freshman season...

Here he is posing for a photo of Notre Dame alumni playing in the NFL; Trevor Robinson, Ian Williams and Manti Te'o -- missing from the photo is Chris Watt who was injured earlier in the game...

Manti Te'o to 49er: "Find a New Joke..."

Former Notre Dame All-American Manti Te'o -- is tired of hearing about the "girlfriend..."

LINK:  FIND A NEW JOKE

Notre Dame Football Hires UCLA RB Alum...

Jonathan Franklin, who gained more than 4,000 yards for the UCLA Bruins -- has been hired by the Notre Dame Athletic Department to work with Student Welfare and Development...

LINK:  THE REAL GOLD HELMET

Zack Martin '13, Named to the NFL Pro Bowl!

Guess who is the only rookie offensive player named to the NFL Pro Bowl...

Former Notre Dame football captain and first round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys -- Zack Martin '13, was the lone offensive rookie named today to the NFL Pro Bowl!

And, the eighth Cowboy rookie of all-time to earn this honor -- and their first ever rookie offensive lineman.

Congratulations Zack!

LINK:  NFL PRO BOWL

USA Today Story On Under Armour's CEO

Kevin Plank had quite a year...

LINK:  USA TODAY STORY

Les Miles Meets With the Media After Practice

LSU head football coach Les Miles met with the media after Monday's practice.

He spoke on a variety of subjects; Christmas, Forbes's value of his football program, coaching vacancies and he even fielded a question about Notre Dame.  LSU will arrive a day after Notre Dame in Nashville...

You get the sense the local media thinks they will roll over the IRISH...

LINK:  LES MILES

Brian Kelly Previews Music City Bowl Game

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly sat down with Jack Nolan yesterday to talk about the Music City Bowl game against LSU...

LINK:  INSIDE NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

Celtic Women in South Bend This Evening...

Here's a couple members of Celtic Women being interviewed on local TV in South Bend.  They're performing a Christmas concert tonight at the Morris Performing Arts Center.

LINK:  WSBT-TV INTERVIEW

LINK:  VIDEO OF PERFORMANCE

Manti Te'o -- An "Every Down" NFL Linebacker!

For the first time in his NFL career -- Manti Te'o played all 74 defensive snaps -- never leaving the field...

LINK:  MANTI STAYS

Notre Dame Men's Hoops Moves Up to #16!!!

The surprise team in all of men's college basketball team has to be the FIGHTING IRISH of NOTRE DAME!

Notre Dame's great start has taken them from 'un-ranked' to now #16 in both major basketball polls.

LINK:  COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLLS

Suspect Captured In One of Notre Dame's Lakes

In the "you can't make this up" category...

A suspect, after fleeing Mishawaka police -- ended up in Saint Mary's Lake (just behind Notre Dame's Grotto) in water up to his neck a little after noon today -- before his capture and arrest.

The suspect, claimed to have a gun -- but no gun was found on him.

The Notre Dame campus was placed on "lock-down" during the chase.

You're going to want to read this story.

LINK:  WNDU-TV STORY

LINK:  WSBT-TV STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY

LINK:  FOX-28 STORY

LINK:  PHOTOS

MUST SEE: First Game at Notre Dame Stadium

Alliyah and Felisha, two friends and guests at South Bend's Center for the Homeless -- attended their first Notre Dame football game this Fall. 

You must see this!

LINK:  FIRST TIME FANS

In the ND Locker Room and On the Sidelines

Notre Dame fans -- if I told you I saw this coming, I'd be lying...

We have a basketball team!

LINK:  ND THUMPS PURDUE

Domer Highlights Today -- Week 16 in the NFL

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were well represented today in the National Football League...

Former Irish QB Jimmy Clausen (that's Jimmy after the game kissing his fiance) threw two TD passes today in the Bears 20 - 14 loss to the Detroit Lions -- key fact:

These are the first TD passes thrown by a ND QB in the NFL in more than two years (the last was thrown by Brady Quinn for the Kansas City Chiefs on December 2, 2012).

Here's a look at some of the highlights today from a number of former Notre Dame student-athletes now in the National Football League:

LINK:  CLAUSEN HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  JIMMY "THE FIGHTIN' IRISH" CLAUSEN

LINK:  HARRISON SMITH INTERCEPTION

LINK:  JONAS GRAY -- GAME WINNER

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE'S GREAT CATCH

Brian Kelly's Post Practice Media Session

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today after the Fighting Irish's practice for the Music City Bowl.  Here's a link as to what he had to say:

LINK:  COACH KELLY

#21 Notre Dame Routs Purdue by 31 in Indy!

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish are on a roll...

Purdue held an early lead -- then it was over.  As the Irish hammer the Boilermakers by the score of 94 - 63.  Here's the highlights:

LINK:  BIG WIN FOR ND

One Guess As To The "Game of the Year"

All I will say is it involved a penalty flag...

LINK:  GAME OF THE YEAR

Aerial Photo of Crossroads Construction at ND

If you lived in close proximity of the Notre Dame campus -- you've never seen so many dump trucks in all of your life...

Here's a look at the West side of the Stadium -- the East side looks similar.

Meet Notre Dame's "Rhodes Scholar"

Alex Coccia '14 was named a RHODES SCHOLAR...

LINK:  ALEX COCCIA

The #1 College Football Stadium Experience

The "House that Rock built" was just named the #1 College Football Stadium Experience by Stadium Journey Magazine...

LINK:  RANKINGS

LINK:  NOTRE DAME STADIUM -- REVIEW

Les Miles Talks About Notre Dame Game...

Les Miles was talking with reporters about the Music City Bowl game against Notre Dame -- got the sense he's not too worried about either Golson or Zaire...

LINK:  LES MILES

NBC Sports Network To Televise ECHOES 14

I don't think there is another football team on the planet whose annual awards show is aired on one of the national sports networks...  ONLY NOTRE DAME!

Be sure to tune-in this Saturday afternoon (December 20) at 1:30 PM ET to the NBC Sports Network to watch Skylar Diggins and Mike Mayock host ECHOES 14.

Long-Time Notre Dame Team Doctor Passes...

98 year-old Dr. Les Bodnar left for heaven this morning...

Bodnar served as Notre Dame Football's Team Doctor from Frank Leahy to Gerry Faust -- 35 years on the job -- while building his own private practice, South Bend Orthopedics.

He authored two books, served Joe Montana the legendary "chicken soup" in the Cotton Bowl game against Houston -- and worked the sidelines of four Notre Dame National Champions; 1949, 1966, 1973 and 1977.

He lived quite a life.

I want to thank ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Janet Geans for alerting me to this story.

LINK:  BODNAR OCTOBER INTERVIEW

LINK:  BUY HIS BOOK!

LSU Safety Talks Notre Dame QB Preparation

The MUSIC CITY BOWL is only 13 days away...

Here's LSU safety Ronald Martin talking about the Notre Dame QB's and how they're preparing for them.

LINK:  LSU PLAYER

Domer Jimmy Clausen Gets Sunday NFL Start

Word on the street is former Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen will get his first NFL start (since 2010) when he leads the Chicago Bears against the first-place Detroit Lions this Sunday at Soldier Field.

Good luck Jimmy!

LINK:  BEARS BENCH CUTLER

LINK:  CLAUSEN CAREER STATS

Notre Dame Men's Hoops Now Ranked #21

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish have moved up in the polls to #21 in both the AP and Coaches Poll -- after the 20 point win over Florida State Saturday night.

Notre Dame is the "fifth" highest ranked team among the ACC schools.

LINK:  BASKETBALL POLLS

Coach Brian Kelly: "Both QB's Will Play..."

Well, I can't say I'm surprised...

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today after the Fighting Irish's third practice for the Music City Bowl game against LSU -- and he broke the news that both Everett Golson and Malik Zaire would play against the Tigers...

LINK:  COACH KELLY

Replay: Domer Rust Scores First NHL Goal!

 

Former Notre Dame hockey player Bryan Rust scored his first NHL goal tonight (in the second NHL game of his career) for the Pittsburgh Penguins!

Here's the replay:

LINK:  REPLAY OF RUST'S FIRST GOAL

A Blind Notre Dame Fan's First Football Game!

Mitchell, a blind 8th grader at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired -- attended his first Notre Dame game this season...

You must watch this!

LINK:  MITCHELL

Coach Mike Brey Talks Win Over Florida State

Notre Dame is 1 - 0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after last night's 83 - 63 win over Florida State.  After the game Coach Brey met with the media -- click on the link below:

LINK:  BREY POST GAME

No Flag! IRISH Defeat Florida State -- (AGAIN)

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish got the first crack against Florida State -- since "the flag" in Tallahassee -- and they delivered!

Notre Dame hammered the Seminoles 83 - 63 with a display of dunks like we haven't seen on this campus in a long-long time.  It got so fun that the "twitter-verse" started renaming Purcell Pavilion to "Dunks DuLac."

Here's a look at the DUNKS along with a trip inside the Notre Dame locker room:

LINK:  DUNK HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  LOCKER ROOM

LINK:  ESPN DUNKS

Most Physically Imposing Player in College BB

His name is Michael Ojo and he's a 7'-1" -- 290lb., basketball player at Florida State University. 

It's going to be fun to see how #25 Notre Dame's "four-guard" offense deals with Ojo and the other two 7 foot-tall players on the Seminoles roster tonight.

OT: America's Game: Nike vs. Under Armour

It's Army vs. Navy -- it's also Nike (Army) vs. Under Armour (Navy).  Both typically roll out a helmet, uniform, shoe combination for "America's Game."

Here's what Under Armour has created for the Naval Academy today:

LINK:  DON'T TREAD ON ME STORY

Got To Love This Promo for ND Basketball

 

Notre Dame plays Florida State tonight at 8 PM ET...

The game will be televised LIVE on ESPN2.

Won't be any flags for picks tonight!

America's Game -- Army vs. Navy -- MUST SEE

Folks, I must admit I tear up every time I watch the "tease" videos that CBS creates for the Army Navy Game.  If this doesn't get to you -- I'm afraid nothing will -- click on the link below.

The telecast begins at 3 PM ET on CBS.

LINK:  MUST WATCH 

LINK:  2010 TEASE

LINK:  2009 TEASE

Notre Dame's "Early Action" Admit Letters...

There will be many high school seniors around this country and around the world -- running to their mailbox today, Monday and Tuesday -- hoping to learn if they've been offered early admittance to Notre Dame's Class of 2019.

Here's a video of Notre Dame's AVP of Undergraduate Enrollment -- Don Bishop -- signing the letters!

LINK:  EARLY ADMIT!