Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 APRIL 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME For the second time in five years, a longtime fixture/ tradition in the Notre Dame Stadium press box will be stepping down from his role. Mike Collins, a 1967 graduate of the school and the public address announcer at Notre Dame Stadium since 1982, indicated this winter that the 2020 football sea- son will be his last at the microphone for Fighting Irish football games. Back in 2015, Sergeant Tim McCarthy ended his 55- year run of his anticipated and witty public service driv- ing safety announcements at the end of the third quar- ter — although recordings of them still occur to this day. "I told my wife, 'If Fr. Ted [Hesburgh] can retire at 75, that's good enough for me,'" said Collins, recalling Notre Dame's president from 1952-87 who died in 2015 at age 97. Per historical records, Collins has been only the third full-time public-address announcer in the 90-year his- tory of Notre Dame Stadium that opened in 1930, head coach Knute Rockne's final season. His predecessor, Frank Crosiar had the previous lon- gest run at 33 years from 1948-81, but opted to step down two days before the 1982 opener versus Michigan — the first home night game in the program's history. Notre Dame sports information director Roger Valdis- erri contacted Collins to be the successor on extremely short notice. By that time, Collins had become a visible and respected South Bend television news anchor, working both at WNDU and later WSBT. During his student days at Notre Dame — his senior year coincided with Valdiserri's arrival — Collins had been the sports director of the student radio station, and called basketball and hockey games. Notre Dame won that dramatic 1982 opener versus No. 10 Michigan (23-17), and with six home games this fall, Collins' total will reach 233 consecutive home football games. The Irish currently are on an 18-game winning streak at home, the third lon- gest since the opening of the stadium in 1930, behind only the 28 from 1942-50 and 19 from 1987-90. A Pittsburgh native who grew up as a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Col- lins as a child had ambitions to become a public address announcer the first time he attended a Pirates game and was captivated by the voice that no one in the stands could see. Collins will continue as the public address announcer for Pittsburgh Pirates spring training in Bradenton, Fla. "I've been able to do public address for my alma mater and my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates," Collins said. "I can't think of anything better than that." The Irish begin the 2020 home schedule against Arkansas Sept. 12 following the regular-season opener against Navy Aug. 29 in Dublin, Ireland. The other home games are Western Michigan (Sept. 19), Stanford (Oct. 10), Duke (Oct. 31), likely preseason No. 1 Clemson (Nov. 7) and Louisville (Nov. 21). — Lou Somogyi COREY ROBINSON AND JAC COLLINSWORTH JOIN NBC SPORTS GROUP Two 2017 Notre Dame graduates with strong football ties have been added to NBC Sports Group. Former Fighting Irish wide receiver Corey Robinson was brought aboard as a reporter and digital corre- spondent, starting with the February coverage of Super Bowl LIV in Miami. Robinson's contributions will include NBC Sports portfolio on linear, digital and social platforms. During his football career, Robinson caught 65 passes for 896 yards and seven touchdowns, earning in 2014 first-team Academic All-America notice and also receiving the Notre Dame Rockne Student-Athlete Award. The son of Hall of Fame basketball player David Robinson, Corey Robinson did not play as a senior in 2016 because of multiple concussions but was elected Notre Dame student body president for the 2016-17 aca- demic year, becoming the first-ever Notre Dame football player to serve in that position. Jac Collinsworth, the son of NBC Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth and younger brother of 2014 Notre Dame football captain Austin Collinsworth, previously worked on Notre Dame football in on- and off-camera capacities. He also served as NBC Olympics' first-ever social media correspondent at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. After covering the NFL for the last three seasons as a host and features reporter at ESPN, Collinsworth returned to NBC Sports Group this March. Like Robinson, he will work on linear and digital platforms across a wide range of sports, including the Olympics, NFL and Notre Dame football. During his undergraduate days, Collinsworth worked on the sideline production team for Fighting Irish football games on NBC from 2013-17, and was a sideline reporter for NBC Sports telecasts of the Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game in 2016 and 2017. — Lou Somogyi Following the 2020 football season, Collins (left) — shown with Sergeant Tim McCarthy — will be stepping down from his role as the public address announcer at Notre Dame Stadium after 39 years of service to his alma mater. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA Robinson, who played wide receiver for the Irish from 2013-15, joined the NBC Sports Group as a reporter and digital correspondent, starting with its February coverage of Super Bowl LIV in Miami. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA Mike Collins To Retire As Public Address Announcer After 2020