The following guest post was written by Molly Moran and was originally scheduled to appear on The Subway Domer. As Subway has since retired, Molly wanted to see if we’d be interested in running it and we were more than happy to oblige!
So without further ado, take it away, Molly!
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Life is a series of moments. Some are legendary and get told over and over, becoming more embellished and ornate to the point they are unrecognizable. Other moments you swear never to forget but indeed, they erode over time. And still other moments you don’t understand the value of until years later. This is a story about the latter. Allow me to the set the scene.
Characters:
Me: A seventeen-year-old Molly. She has wanted nothing more than to go to Notre Dame ever since she could sing the Victory March word for word. (I could do this before that age of 5, thank you very much!) She’s an optimistic dreamer looking forward to attending the university, changing the world, and making her parents proud.
My dad: A humorous and sarcastic man who is guarded with any serious feelings. He claims to remember watching Notre Dame games from his crib in downtown Cincinnati as early as 1949.
Setting: The family garage. A half painted concrete structure that shelters the family cars and must be passed through to get into the house. My dad keeps the mail tucked away on a shelf, sandwiched between two golf shoes. Every piece of mail passes by him before getting to the recipient.
Mood: As a senior in high school, I’m anxiously awaiting all the acceptance letters from the schools to which I applied. I applied to three, only one of which I really want to attend, Notre Dame. My dad is lighting a pipe and preparing to relax in the hammock outside.
Action.
My dad, is calmly packing his pipe and preparing to strike a match when I sarcastically ask whether or not my full ride offer has arrived from Notre Dame. His hand wavers, the flame begins to eat away the length of the match, and he turns slowly to face me with an expression I still remember. It was serious and hurt, and his eyes wouldn’t meet mine at first.
Dad: (hesitant, not wanting to hurt me) You didn’t get in buddy.
A lump formed in my throat, and I got that horrible feeling one gets when they are trying desperately not to cry. I could feel the tears willing themselves to spill over my eyes and down my cheeks. I swallowed fast several times, trying to force the lump from my throat so I could speak. I had disappointed my dad, I was sure of it. Why hadn’t I studied vocabulary more or been more proficient in math. Surely if I had known what “flummox” meant the day of the SAT I would have gotten the one or two more points I needed to impress the admissions board. I sure knew what it meant now. Perhaps I could have…
Dad: He has lit his pipe at this point, and is puffing on it. He removes the stem from his mouth. (Interrupting my thoughts) Molls, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I bet if had more money they’d have taken you. His eyes shine with the suggestion of moisture, as if he too has suppressed his own lump.
What was he talking about? It was ridiculous; it wasn’t true…it was exactly what I needed to hear.
Dad: I’m proud of you bud. (Pause) Hey, we don’t have to root for them anymore (chuckles half-heartedly)
Me: (long pause) No. We have to root for the Irish, dad.
Dad: (audible relief in his voice) I’m glad you said that. I don’t think I could root for anyone else
I embrace my dad, and he stands there, taken aback and a bit rigid before he too hugs me back. His arms tighten slightly, ensuring me that he’ll always be proud.
End scene.
When I went inside that afternoon, I had classified that moment under “never want to remember, repeat, or relive”. I vowed that if anyone asked if I got accepted and or was I going to attend, I would simply say tuition was too much and I wanted to stay close to home. However, as the years passed and my love and admiration for everything Notre Dame grew, and grew, this memory pushed its way to the front of my mind. Something about these past few seasons really made me reflect on what that moment did for me.
Notre Dame has an extensive base of fans that didn’t attend the university; subway alumni. It’s a heavy label to bear. On one hand, your part of a diverse group of people who feel just as strongly about the team of a university they never attended. That speaks volumes. However, the fact you didn’t attend the university sometimes leaves people wondering how much your opinion should matter or why you root for them in the first place. Good question. Why do I root for Notre Dame if I didn’t go there? What reason or connection do I have? Essentially, I wasn’t what Notre Dame was looking for so why are they such a perfect fit for me? Well, in some weird way being rejected from Notre Dame meant I was accepted into another elite group of people I knew.
My grandpa, great uncle, and my dad are the biggest Notre Dame fans I have ever known. Not because they had season tickets, or signed paraphernalia, and not even because they went there, because they didn’t. They are all subway alumni. However, their hierarchy of needs was God, Family, and Notre Dame football…and at times I’m convinced it beat out family, if only for four hours.
This trio of men instilled in me an unwavering and undying love for a university I didn’t attend. This trio of men also happens to be some of the most gifted storytellers. They are all full of those legendary moments that get retold over and over. Tales of a team clad in blue and gold coming back from behind to win the game, tales of the same team never falling behind, tales of coaches who didn’t just roam the sidelines and teach young men how to play a game but coaches who were figures larger than life off the football field. Their stories seemed unbelievable until I was able to confirm them by seeing for myself, through my own wide-eyed stare, on the numerous VHS tapes that hold within their confines, the legends (and some of my favorite bedtime stories) from my childhood. The stories were real and what seemed embellished was really just their way of trying to convey the indescribable facets of an almost unbelievable entity.
“Notre Dame” is often synonymous with “tradition”, so much so that it can be hard to draw a distinct line between the two and untangle them from one another. Much like Notre Dame has its own traditions, rooting for Notre Dame has and always will be a Moran family tradition. Those who have gone before me and those who are still among me love what Notre Dame represents, what it believes in, and what it fights for. That moment that I had forever filed away as embarrassing is now a moment that I am writing about proudly. The University of Notre Dame rejected me, but I am Molly Moran and I am a subway alumna.
Present day
I just visited the campus a few weeks ago for the Michigan State game. As my dad and I pulled onto Notre Dame Avenue and the golden dome emerged from between countless fingers of leaved branches, a lump formed in my throat, and I got that horrible feeling one gets when they are trying desperately not to cry. I could feel the tears willing themselves to spill over my eyes and down my cheeks. This time, I didn’t swallow. I didn’t force the lump back down. I let my tears slide quietly down my cheeks, over my lips, and onto my lap. My skin erupted in goose bumps, and warmth ran from the base of my neck to the tips of my fingers and toes. I looked over at my dad, puffing on his pipe. His eyes were shining with the suggestion of moisture, and his cheeks looked as if they had been wiped away.
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You can follow Molly on Twitter @Lluckoftheirish and her Notre Dame videos on her YouTube Channel.
- Epilogue - January 3, 2022
- HLS Podcast Finale - January 2, 2022
- The Final Fiesta: Notre Dame vs Oklahoma State NCAA ’14 Sim - December 31, 2021
TheHawkND
That was a great story! I didn’t realize what a “subway alumni” was until I read this. I too am a subway alumni. I got to attend one ND game as a guest of a graduate student (who was my undergraduate roomate in college). ND beat Pitt that day, coached by Davies. It was an awesome experience that whole weekend being on campus for the game and all the traditions!
Brian McKeown (@BrianJMcKeown)
Very enjoyable read, Molly. My love affair with ND is strikingly similar to yours. My grandmother was the matriarch of our sub-alum family and her passing a few years ago only further solidified our Irish bond. Last season was the first time we were all able to be on campus together for a football game. Needless to say, it was a very emotional experience.
Tom Hohmeier
Molly – couldn’t have written it any better! What a great story!! I felt like you were telling my story – substitute grandmother, mom and dad for your grandpa, dad, and uncle. Go to every game and the feeling never gets old. Met you and your dad in the bookstore at the B/G game back in April…when are the weekly videos returning? Miss those as much as weeks w/o TSM! Go Irish!
Mark (@stogiesnbeer)
Great post Molly, I remember getting that same letter back in 2001. Like you, it hasn’t changed the way I feel about Notre Dame at all. Thanks Molly!
Ken Kessner
Great post, Molly.
I am a subway alum, Irish/ Polish Catholic from Chicago. While I never applied for admission, I have always been s faithful fan, through many years of residence in Trojan country! I am privileged & honored to two scholarship funds, have season tixs & participate in their Football Fantasy camps. But ND, for me, is so much more than the football. I get a lump in my throat when I see the Dome, a tear in my eye when I hear the Alma Mater and thank God for the friendships I’ve gained through my association w/ this great University. God, Country, Notre Dame.
@thereidy
I know these same feelings first hand. My grandfather attended ND, and attending was my only goal in high school. I had the application filled out, but by the time I worked up the nerve to send it, I had missed the deadline. I still love this university and am proud to cheer on the Irish for my departed grandfather every Saturday.
EverIrish
There are many things that make Notre Dame great — its storied traditions, beautiful campus, and unapologetic Catholic character — but I am convinced that one of the most important elements of Notre Dame’s success is the commitment of its Subway Alumni. And, I dare say that all alumni owe much of our love of Notre Dame to Subway Alumni (in my case, both of my grandfathers and my mother). So, Molly, thank you for accepting your admission to a great and proud tradition of Subway Alumni. Go Irish!
Mike Palumbo
Molly,
What a privilege to be able to read your essay! I am glad that the editors of this website had the wisdom to allow you to publish it here. The piece is so well written, I do not understand how you were not accepted. Maybe some admission officer now knows they made a mistake.
Every person who actually attended should read your thoughts. They will then recognize what a gift they were given when they were accepted.
thank you for the moisture in my eyes.
Mike Palumbo, 81 L
James Dailey
Molly Moran – what a great name and what a great story!! Please apply to ND for grad school because you belong there. And be sure to include this story in your application. Good luck!
Kalamazoo Ron
Thanks for making my day Molly. This has been kind of a bummer of a week and your story picked me right up. Good luck to you in the future, hopefully we get to read a lot more of your writing in the future!
jem5b
Terrific read, so enjoyable. Most of us all share the same feelings, Molly
sjklar1954
I raised my only daughter hoping she would be able to go to ND. I put her through the best catholic school in Atlanta Ga and sent her to the best catholic high school in Atlanta. In her senior year she also applied at ND and was rejected and she and I both cried. I still love ND and love what it stands for. I just came back from the ND and USC game and had a wonderful weekend at ND. I support my daughter at The Ohio State University, but she knows my first love is ND.
Subway alum for life.
hbmichael9
People always ask me why I’m a notre dame fan. As if being Midwestern, Irish, Catholic wasn’t enough. It was the crisp fall days that I looked forward to every year, with at least one family weekend trip to catch a game. It was the amazing teams of the late 80s early 90s that me and my dad would live and die with each play. It was being there forcatholics vs convicts, the snow bowl vs penn state, and catholics vs creminoles, It was hearing the stories of both fraternal grandparents (ND and Saint Mary’s) living in married housing after grandpa returned from the Korean War ,my dad being born on campus to return 17 years later as a freshman, and meeting my mom his senior year when she was a junior at st Mary’s. I too didn’t getitgirl and sometimes understand why people may question my passion for theIrish. They just don’t get it. Glad to see you do.
hbmichael9
Ha ha “getitgirl” means “get in”
trey
This needs to become ‘a thing.’ Sub alumns are part of the lifeblood of ND. We wouldn’t be able to dominate, travel like we do,have the pull without the legion of non-alumni fans.