Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 11, 2025 51 charisma, work ethic, uplifting spirit and unstoppable energy. He was an enthusi- astic supporter of all his kids' activities. Nick's son Todd followed his path at Loyola Academy, but in lacrosse, not football. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Todd physically dominated the defensive field of play. Possessed of tremendous speed, strength, and tenacity, he wreaked havoc on opposing offenses, first at Loyola and then at Notre Dame under head coach Kevin Corrigan. For the Irish, he was a three-time All- America selection by the U.S. Intercolle- giate Lacrosse Association and was named the Great Western Lacrosse League's Player of the Year after his senior season of 1998. Perhaps the greatest honor in Todd's lacrosse career came in 2002, when as tri- captain of Team USA, he led the Ameri- cans to an undefeated record and a world championship in Perth, Australia. Since earning his bachelor's degree in political science from Notre Dame in 1998, Todd has spent 25 years in the United States Secret Service, where he has dedicated most of his career on presidential protection, serving five U.S. Presidents. In 2001, Special Agent Rassas received the Medal of Valor for heroism while performing life-saving actions on 9/11. Todd's daughter Madison has become a fourth-generation Notre Dame stand- out. Out of Georgetown Visitation Pre- paratory School in Washington, D.C., she was ranked the No. 2 player in the national 2024 class by Inside Lacrosse. She was a two-time USA Lacrosse High School All-American. And she delivered as a Notre Dame freshman, leading the Irish with 29 goals and finishing third on the team with 33 points. Madison recorded 6 hat tricks, with 8 multi-point games. She scored 4 or more goals in four games. She was named to the IWLCA West/ Midwest All-Region second team. Madison's younger sister Kenzie Rassas is currently the No. 2-ranked high school lacrosse player in the U.S. She was an All-American as a junior and has verbally committed to … where else, the University of Notre Dame, to continue the legacy. ✦ Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com When Notre Dame's Julian Love was a senior at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange, Ill., he was confirmed by the Most Rev. George Rassas Jr., auxiliary bishop of the Chicago archdiocese. PHOTO COURTESY ROCKNESOCIETY.ORG Your book order supports the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. Order your autographed, inscribed copy TODAY by visi ng www.RockneSociety.org/Shop/ Special Centennial Commemorative Edition LOYAL SONS: The Story of The Four Horsemen and Notre Dame Football's 1924 Champions Winner – Independent Publisher Book Awards Get the full story on these iconic Notre Dame figures A great read for any Notre Dame fan! "A must-read real jewel… wonderfully researched and detailed." --SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE SPECIAL CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE EDITION National Award-Winning Author Jim Lefebvre T h e s t o r y o f T h e F o u r H o r s e m e n a n d N o t r e D a m e F o o t b a l l ' s 1 9 2 4 C h a m p i o n s Loyal Sons