Lou Holtz

Derek Brown, on the cover of Sports Illustrated. "One Wacky Season."

Where Are They Now? Derek Brown

April 4, 2013 by Lisa

Derek Vernon Brown, the legendary tight end on Notre Dame’s 1988 national title team, spent most of his childhood on the move. His father, who worked for IBM, was often forced to relocate, with Brown following suit. In fact, he had lived in Virginia, California, Texas, Washington DC, Georgia, and even England (the country!), all before he was eight years old. He is a man of many firsts -- a first team All-American and a first round draft pick, Brown took his Notre Dame triumphs with him to the ...

Where Are They Now? Brian Hamilton

March 21, 2013 by Lisa

When I asked one of his former teammates to describe Brian Hamilton to me, the answer was immediate -- he’s a leader. He’s the nicest guy in the world, and he’s still the same guy he’s always been. He’s the older, wiser guy. He’s the one with the old soul. Brian Hamilton, a talented defensive tackle, the product of legendary St. Rita’s High School in Chicago, went on to have a successful collegiate career at Notre Dame and sign as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. Brian now lives in ...

Where Are They Now? Germaine Holden

February 28, 2013 by Lisa

Like many others who had watched Notre Dame play on television or heard about its legendary football program, South Carolina native Germaine Holden took a leap of faith when he decided to enroll at the university in South Bend, Ind.. A four year defensive starter for the Irish, Holden thrived under head coach Lou Holtz and got an education that served him well later in life. He currently splits his time between Denver, Colorado and Australia and has three sons: Baer, Tyger and Wulf. Q: Being ...

Where Are They Now? Kevin McDougal

February 14, 2013 by Lisa

All Kevin McDougal ever wanted at Notre Dame was a chance to prove himself as a quarterback. McDougal sat for three years behind star quarterback Rick Mirer, then watched as Coach Lou Holtz named incoming freshman Ron Powlus the starter even though he’d never thrown a pass in college. McDougal felt he had earned his shot after leading more than a dozen scoring drives in a backup role and soaking up the offense for three years. Powlus suffered a broken collarbone and McDougal stepped in to lead ...

Oct 4, 1997: Notre Dame wide receiver Bobby Brown catches the ball as Stanford defensive back Corey Hill hits him during a game at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. Stanford won the game, 33-15. (Otto Greule /Allsport)

Where Are They Now? Bobby Brown

January 31, 2013 by Lisa

Inspired by his mother and brother’s dedication and persistence, former Notre Dame receiver Braynard “Bobby” Brown did not let adversity slow his eventual path to success. An All-American receiver at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he went on to play both football and track at Notre Dame and broke records in both sports. He remains perhaps best known for a controversial penalty he got for excessive celebration – a penalty he still insists was a simple misunderstanding of ...

Where Are They Now? Devon McDonald

January 10, 2013 by Lisa

One of my new features here at Her Loyal Sons will be my interviews featuring former Notre Dame athletes. Up to this point I have mostly interviewed football players, but I have plans to expand beyond football. Here is my most recent interview with former Notre Dame linebacker, Devon McDonald. Devon Linton McDonald was born on November 8, 1969 in Kingston, Jamaica. When he was eleven years old, his family moved to Paterson, NJ where both he and his twin brother Ricardo got involved playing ...

Irish Defeat Trojans, Punch Ticket to South Beach

November 25, 2012 by Ryan Ritter

Notre Dame simply did what it has done all season. Minimize mistakes on offense, establish their running game, and have their defense dominate. The result: a 22-13 Irish victory to cap off an undefeated 2012 regular season and a berth in the BCS title game. ...

A rain-soaked Brian Kelly walks off the field of the Colosseum a victor in 2010, becoming the first Irish coach to beat USC since Bob Davie. (Photo Credit: Neon Tommy via Flickr)

Brian Kelly and Year Three

August 13, 2012 by Ryan Ritter

As HLS makes its transition into its third iteration, I feel that it is only appropriate that the first post in the HLS 3.0 era should be a look into the expectations that Brian Kelly carries with him into his third version of Irish football. The third year has transformed into that "line in the sand" in regards to a college coach's future at their current school. But just how accurate is that mark? And where should we place our expectations in 2012 considering that the Irish will be facing ...

Friday Roundup: The “Best Trick Play Ever” Edition

July 6, 2012 by Ryan Ritter

So since we seem to be recalling some of our favorite memories of the Weis era the past couple of weeks, I figured that now would be a good time to cash in my promise of letting everyone in on stories from my time as a manager. This week, we dive into the art of the trick play. Weis made a point to have at least one trick play up his sleeve every week. Some were simple and were just more complex versions of a play-fake that you'd likely see and not think it was actually a trick play. ...