Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Dame and make things right." Eddy spent 1963 working back home in California, which proved to be another blessing. "It was convenient because my wife [Jean] was out here and she was going to junior college and we got to spend a lot of time together," he said. "We just really bonded." By the time Eddy was readmitted in the spring of 1964, Ara Parseghian was hired to restore a reeling football program that was 34-45 the previous eight years, including 2-7 in 1963. In Eddy's three varsity seasons, Notre Dame was 25-3-2, winning a share of the 1964 national title and achieving a consensus title in 1966. He rushed for 1,625 yards and 5.6 yards per carry during that time, caught 44 passes that averaged 16.1 yards, and began the '66 title run with a crucial 96-yard kickoff return for a touch- down after falling behind to eventual Rose Bowl champion Purdue. "We were so in tune with what the coaches were saying, and that's all we talked about and thought about — and it showed on the field," Eddy said of Parseghian's impact. "We were so focused." SETTLING DOWN A football player today getting mar- ried during the middle of the season is unthinkable. Yet that's what happened with Eddy during his junior year. On Oct. 16, 1965, a bye week, he married Jean, whom he has spent the past 48 and a half years with and whom he describes as his counsel on all matters. "I didn't want to be without her anymore," Eddy said of moving her to South Bend, where they found an apartment and she worked at a lo- cal bank. "I wanted her around every day." Although their first child, Nicole, would be born in April 1966, prior to his senior season, Eddy said his life as a student, star athlete, husband and father provided structure. "It helped me settle down to have my life partner there with me to talk to," he said. "Not only that, she could type real fast, so it helped when I had to turn in papers." Meanwhile, the NFL and AFL were in a bidding war, and that led to a $400,000, seven-year deal for Eddy with the Detroit Lions in 1967 as the 24th overall pick. Timed at 4.4 in the 40 at 210 pounds, Eddy's debut in an exhibition game saw him score on a 75-yard punt return the first time he touched the football. "I thought, 'Oh boy, this is going to be fun,'" Eddy said. The following week, a knee injury at San Diego began a downturn, in- cluding operations on both his knees and myriad other ailments. He lasted six years with Detroit before he was waived in August 1973, and he rushed for only 523 yards during his NFL ca- reer. Eddy plans to work one more year before retiring and traveling with his wife. "My favorite phrase from Ara when I played at Notre Dame was, 'Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity,'" he said. "What it meant was if you prepare correctly, you'll be ready for any situation." Nick Eddy has lived it. ✦