Notre Dame New Year's Resolutions

Player Resolutions

1. Play with swagger.

I felt several times over the past couple of seasons that the players were playing like they were just waiting for the bottom to drop out. Again.

In Hawaii, they came out and seemed ready to show everyone what they can do.

They need to build on that foundation and come out each and every game with the confidence that they know they can win the game.

In 2005, the Irish came out against USC and punched them in the mouth, refusing to back down. Everyone had faith in Brady's leadership and trusted their teammates, and they were robbed of a truly great season by the infamous Bush Push.

The last two years, the players didn't seem sure if they could win when they walked out on the field.

With the show they put on for Christmas Eve, and nearly everyone coming back, I want to see them take the attitude that they can dominate anyone who steps on the field against them.

2. Work your ass off

Championship teams aren't built in recruiting or during training camp. They are built every single day in the offseason, when the players come together and push each other to become more than they could ever be alone.

I'm reminded of the story of Knute Rockne and Gus Dorais, who during the offseason worked at Cedar Point in Ohio and spent their free time practicing passing routes on the beach. The next season, all that practice resulted in the stunning upset of the Black Knights of Army.

I want to hear stories this offseason of these kids going above and beyond the required workout and organized team activities to develop the chemistry necessary to build a championship team. Live, breathe, eat, and sleep football.

3. Believe.

The Notre Dame football program has been pronounced dead many times in the past.

They were supposed to just fade into the woodwork when they didn't get into the Big Ten. Then they barnstormed the country and won anyway.

They were supposed to fold during World War II. Then Leahy came back from the war and destroyed everyone.

Kuharich was the death knell of Irish football. The Irish would never win again. Then Parseghian came in and made us all believe in miracles. He could even stop the rain.

Then the program couldn't compete in the modern era, when Faust dragged them into the mud. And Holtz taught the team how to believe.

Now, the carousel of Davie, O'Leary, Willingham, and Weis has supposedly relegated Irish football to mediocrity, where Irish fans were supposed to be content with the occasional decent bowl game. As Kirk Herbstreit said, we've averaged only seven wins a season for the past 15 years. Why do we expect any more than that?

Because we're Notre Dame, and it's what we do.

"There has been a surrender at Notre Dame, but it is a surrender to excellence on all fronts, and in this we hope to rise above ourselves with the help of God." -Fr. Theodore Hesburgh

Now is the time for this team to ignore all of the people that want so desperately for Notre Dame to finally fade away, and come together as one. Believe in the magic of Notre Dame, that with hard work, discipline, and integrity, we can take on all comers and emerge victorious.

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