Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547434
14 NOV. 7, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Notre Dame's 1988 national champi- onship team was loaded with stars, but its path to perfection was paved by more than All-Americans and future NFL players. It took an unlikely collection of heroes, a demanding head coach in Lou Holtz and a team culture in which sacrifice, account- ability and chemistry mattered as much as talent. T h i s e x c e r p t from The Gold Standard: The Best of Notre Dame Football 1976-2025 ex- plores the per- sonalities, piv- otal decisions a n d b e h i n d - the-scenes moments that helped trans- form a team that began the season ranked No. 13 into one that finished 12-0 and earned a permanent place in Notre Dame football history. Published by Coman Publishing Co., a division of On3 Sports LLC, and produced by Blue & Gold Illustrated, this 192-page, full-color hardcover celebrates 50 years of Fighting Irish football — a keepsake for your collection or a gift for a fellow fan. Order your copy for $44.95 plus shipping at BlueGoldOnline.com. BY ERIC HANSEN N otre Dame's forever team will be perpetually known for its stars, particularly the volume of them, the sheer brightness of them and how so many had a life after South Bend on NFL stages. The compelling backstory, though, and what drove the 1988 team is how those stars aligned during a national championship season because of culture, chemistry and character, which pro- duced all kinds of unlikely heroes sprin- kled among the obvious All-Americans. Like Reggie Ho, who nailed 4 field goals in a 19-17 showdown with Michigan to start the most recent unbeaten and un- tied season in Notre Dame history. That included the game-winner from 26 yards out with 73 seconds left in the first of four takedowns of top-10 teams in 1988. Ho came to Notre Dame from Saint Louis School in Honolulu, strictly as a pre-med student with no aspirations to play football, even though he had been a kicker in high school. After his freshman year in 1985-86, Ho felt like he needed an outlet to balance the academic strain. Four times as a sophomore in the fall of 1986, in Holtz's first season leading the Irish, the 5-foot-5, 135-pounder came to the football offices to ask for an opportunity to join the team as a walk- on. He was turned away all four times before finally getting a chance to audi- UNLIKELY HEROES Beyond the stars, culture, chemistry and character drove the 1988 Irish to a place in history Quarterback Tony Rice earned Offensive MVP honors in the Fiesta Bowl by throwing for a career-high 213 yards and 2 touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY FIESTA BOWL FOUNDATION