Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? 9:30 a.m. Games then usually started always around 1 p.m." Sylvester re- called of a simpler time. "We'd go back to our dorms then, and it was just electric with your friends, your fellow students who couldn't wait to get out and cheer on the team. And I loved being part of the intramural sports after football season was over." After playing for the junior var- sity in 1971 (freshmen were ineligible per NCAA rules until 1972), Sylves- ter was third team as a sophomore in 1972 when the 8-3 Irish finished with a 45-23 loss at No. 1 USC and then were crushed by No. 9 Nebraska, 40-6, in the Orange Bowl. "There was a commitment to rectify that loss," Sylvester said. "I'll never forget Ara [Parseghian] telling us, 'Gentlemen, adversity elicits talent that otherwise might remain dormant.' " The top two offensive tackles on the right side graduated, leaving the door open for Sylvester to crack the start- ing lineup at right tackle. Meanwhile, starting left tackle Dave Casper was shifted to tight end, leaving Sylvester's classmate Steve Neece to rise from third team to No. 1 as well. Propelled by a 23-14 victory over USC in midseason to end the Trojans' 23-game unbeaten streak, the Irish went on to capture the 1973 national title with a 24-23 victory versus No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. More than half the starters on offense and defense were from Sylvester's class, and his 288:38 playing time that season was the most of any lineman. Notre Dame was favored to repeat in 1974, but graduation and suspensions led to a relatively joyless 10-2 cam- paign that ended with a 13-11 victory over 11-0 Alabama in the Orange Bowl to cap Parseghian's brilliant career. The Irish lost early in the year to four-touchdown underdog Purdue (31-20) and eked out victories over Michigan State (19-14), Rice (10-3), Navy (14-6) and Pitt (14-10), and the burden of perfection finally over- whelmed Parseghian. "It was a tough season," Sylvester said. "I remember walking off after the Navy win and feeling about as disap- pointed as I possibly could be." And that is why you are never truly the Notre Dame coach until 10-2 is per- ceived as a disappointment rather than a celebration. www.BLUEANDGOLD.com go," said Sylvester, whose salary was $22,500 as a 1975 rookie and escalated to $125,000 his final season in 1983. "When I first came up there were only 43 men on NFL rosters, and we carried only seven offensive linemen for several years. I had to wear a lot of different hats," he explained. Sylvester did some teaching in his first two offseasons before meeting a World War II comrade of his father, Carl Levie, a top real estate agent in Redwood City, Calif. Sylvester re- ceived his real estate license in 1978 and sold houses in his final six NFL offseasons. He has continued that line of work today in the Queen City. Married for 34 years to wife Lau- Sylvester, a three-time Super Bowl champion while playing for Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders during a nine-year NFL career from 1975-83, has worked in real estate since receiving his license in 1978. PHOTO COURTESY STEVE SYLVESTER 'GIVE IT A SHOT' Although the 6-4, 241-pound Sylves- ter had a stellar college career, earning third-team Associated Press All-Amer- ica honors as a senior, he was only a 10th-round pick (259th overall) in the 1975 NFL Draft. He believed teaching was his future, especially after picking up his teaching certificate in second- ary education at St. Mary's College to complement his Bachelor of Arts degree from Notre Dame. "I decided I didn't even want to try out," Sylvester said. "I didn't want to be a blocking dummy during train- ing camp and just waste eight or nine weeks. I was ready to get on with life." That's when he met 35-year-old Cincinnati sports agent Ron Grinker, whose ethics Sylvester respected. "He basically talked me into trying," Sylvester said. "He told me, 'Steve, this is an opportunity you will never get again. Life goes on and life passes real fast, and you may look back on it and regret that you didn't at least give it a shot.' I did try out, and I was in the right place at the right time." For nine years, playing amongst at least a dozen Hall of Fame mem- bers for the Silver & Black, Sylvester was the model utility man, filling in at tackle, guard or center whenever needed, and also prolonging his career by teaching himself how to long snap. "I averaged about four starts per year, would plug a hole and go back to the bench when others were ready to rie, Sylvester is the father of three adult daughters — Lauren, a special education teacher; Katherine, who has served in the Peace Corps; and Lind- say, who next year will give birth to Steve and Laurie's first grandchild. Meanwhile, his yearly pilgrimage to a Notre Dame game with his two- dozen or so friends from college re- mains a cherished event, win or lose. "I want to see them win; everyone wants to see a winner," Sylvester said. "As long as they maintain their stan- dards academically and their moral standards, and go out and compete, I think that's fantastic, and I think they're doing that." ✦ Playing for the "Renegade Raiders" from THREE-RING CIRCUS 1975-83 was a remarkable experience for Steve Sylvester. The franchise's late owner, Al Davis, had a "Just Win, Baby" credo. It may not have always had the spit-and-polish image of Cincinnati Moeller High and Notre Dame, but the results on the field were just as gratifying. "My NFL experience was not a letdown at all, and a big reason for that was we won," said Sylvester, who played for the 1977, 1981 and 1983 Super Bowl champions. The only two Notre Dame football alumni to win more Super Bowls were quarterback Joe Montana and running back Rocky Bleier, with four apiece at San Francisco and Pittsburgh, respectively. Other multiple Irish winners with two apiece were guard Bob Kuechenberg and linebacker Nick Buoniconti at Miami, tight end Mark Ba- varo with the New York Giants, safety Dave Duerson at Chicago and with the Giants, wide receiver David Givens at New England, and tight end Jerome Collins with the Giants and Indianapolis Colts. — Lou Somogyi DECEMBER 2011 45