What It Means to Be Fighting Irish: Ara Parseghian and Notre Dame's Greatest Players [Hardcover]

Tim Prister (Editor)

Book Description

Series: What It Means to Be | Publication Date: September 1, 2004

There’s nothing quite like wearing the blue and gold of Notre Dame football, and only the chosen few can comprehend the feelings of pride, loyalty, and honor that define the experience. What It Means to Be Fighting Irish captures those feelings through first-person accounts and recollections from legendary coach Ara Parseghian and the greatest players ever to wear the Notre Dame uniform.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

No institution—in the sports world or otherwise—evokes as much pride, passion, inspiration, and devotion as Notre Dame football. The legendary organization dates all the way back to 1887, and college football fans of all ages and allegiances are versed in the almost mythical lore that includes Rockne and Leahy, the Gipper and the Horsemen, the Golden Boy and the Golden Dome. Notre Dame football is truly bigger than the game itself, and only those privileged athletes who have strapped on the gold helmets can begin to understand why that is so.

Notre Dame’s undeniably rich tradition and on-field success over the past century are enough to separate it from other programs: 11 national titles, seven Heisman Trophy winners, and countless first-round draft choices who have gone on to star in the National Football League. But there is much, much more surrounding the mystique of Notre Dame football than its perennial collection of God-given talent. Knute Rockne’s teams of the twenties and thirties helped to create a magical, winning culture that gave the nation a much-needed shot in the arm during the Depression years. Frank Leahy’s WWII-era and postwar dynasty in the forties again galvanized the American people in a time of need. These legendary periods of unmatched success were revered throughout the sports world and beyond, and inspired subsequent decades of dominance. Players and coaches have come and gone, but the feelings of honor and utmost pride associated with Notre Dame football have always remained constant.

Legendary Fighting Irish coach Ara Parseghian, himself the winner of two national championships at Notre Dame, has brought together dozens of the greatest players ever to wear the blue and gold. In What It Means to Be Fighting Irish, these special athletes share their experiences and memories of playing football for Notre Dame. Heroes such as John Lujack, Paul Hornung, John Huarte, Joe Theismann, Ross Browner, Joe Montana, Allen Pinkett, Raghib Ismail, Aaron Taylor, and many more revisit their days of glory, share their most poignant reminiscences, and attempt to define the significance of being a part of the storied Fighting Irish fraternity. This unique collection of individual accounts from players of varying eras is truly a must-have for any Notre Dame fan.

About the Author

Tim Prister served as editor of Blue & Gold Illustrated, the publication devoted to the coverage of Notre Dame athletics, for 20 years, and now acts as senior writer. The South Bend, Indiana, native is a 1982 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he was the starting third baseman for the Fighting Irish baseball team in 1981and 1982. Prister’s reporting on Notre Dame football was cited by Sports Illustrated in the fall of 1993, and it was his story on BlueandGold.com that broke the news of Notre Dame head coach Bob Davie’s firing in 2001. Prister coauthored The Best of Blue & Gold Illustrated with BGI associate editor Lou Somogyi in 1990. Now the head baseball coach at his alma mater, Mishawaka (Indiana) Marian High School, Prister is married to the former Terri Lynn Bayles and is the father of a son, Eric, 15.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572436409
• ISBN-13: 978-1572436404
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,565,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)