Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 28, 2016 53 WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? 49‑19 Green Jersey Game win over No. 5 USC in 1977 sidelined him for a month, but Harrison made his second career start in a bowl game against an 11‑0, No. 1 team versus Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Like in the win against Alabama when he recorded seven solo stops, Harrison performed well against the Longhorns with five tackles and an interception in the 38‑10 win that vaulted Notre Dame from No. 5 to its second national title in five seasons. "The camaraderie of the team and how we knew we were going to win was so special," he said. "We knew that we could beat anybody. Ara's last game in the Orange Bowl was very similar to that because that too was so emotional." More injuries limited Harrison as a fifth‑year senior in 1978, although he still finished with 22 tackles. Un‑ drafted, Harrison had tryouts with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos, but couldn't stay healthy long enough to make the cut. BEYOND FOOTBALL It didn't take long for Harrison to put his degree in business admin‑ istration to work. That's when his appreciation for his time and toil at Notre Dame hit home. "We had a saying there, although I didn'tagree with it even then: Notre Dame is not the best place to be at, but a great place to be from," Har‑ rison said. "I loved it there." He went into real estate, owned his own mortgage company and was a national sales manager at a top firm when he and wife Cheryl, who he has been married to for 22 years, set‑ tled into the Las Vegas area in 1994. "I had to get away from the cold," Harrison said. The collapse of the housing market in 2008, after Harrison had spent 30 years in the mortgage business, was a difficult setback. "My life's work was out the win‑ dow at that point, but it's coming back now," said Harrison, a managing member of Partners Finance Group, LLC., which provides in‑house financ‑ ing for businesses and their clients. A hobby from which he has derived great enjoyment is coaching softball the past 20 years, and all three of his daughters (no sons) played or are play‑ ing college softball on full scholarships. Oldest daughter Lee graduated from St. Peter's and is now enrolled at the prestigious Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego. Haley is a junior at Idaho State and Kiley a sophomore at UNLV. Harrison will be at this week's Notre Dame‑USC game in Los Angeles and tries to make it up to the Irish campus at least once a year for a game. He couldn't make it this year, but he had flashbacks to his own fresh‑ man year in the secondary. ✦ Harrison earned five monograms and a degree in business administration at Notre Dame. He is now a managing member of Partners Finance Group, LLC., which provides in-house financing for businesses and their clients. PHOTO COURTESY RANDY HARRISON MEMORABILIA MEMORABILIA Vintage Notre Dame Memorabilia Augie's Locker Room ND Stadium Items, Jerseys, Helmets, Autographs and One of a Kind Rockne Items. COME IN THE STORE AND MENTION BLUE & GOLD AND GET A FREE $20 GIFT! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY!! Voted Best Notre Dame Collectables in the Country! 1811 South Bend Ave. South Bend , I n 46637 574-277-NDND (6363) www.augieslockerroom.com FACEBOOK.COM/AUGIESLOCKERROOM NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL GAMES on VHS or DVD for sale, from 1928 to present. Contact Peter Rahas at 7700 Golden Filly St., Las Vegas, NV 89131 or call 1-702-395-2974 M A R K E T P L A C E WANT TO REACH NOTRE DAME FANS? Call 877-630-8768 to advertise in Blue & Gold Illustrated! Among Elite Company Randy Harrison's freshman season at Notre Dame ranks among the five best ever by an Irish rookie safety. The other four were either first-round NFL Draft picks or future Pro Bowl players, if not both. 1. Luther Bradley (1973) — Stepped in at strong safety from day one for the national champs and paced the team in interceptions (six) and passes broken up (11). 2. Randy Harrison (1974) — Started every game at free safety and recorded 296:17 playing time dur- ing the regular season. He led the secondary in tackles (57), was second in passes broken up (seven) and scored touchdowns on both of his interceptions, totaling 84 yards. In the 13-11 Orange Bowl vic- tory versus No. 1 Alabama, he made seven tackles. 3. Bobby Taylor (1992) — When he stepped into the starting lineup for the last seven games at free safety, the Irish became as good as anyone in the country during a 7-0 finish. He tied for the team lead in passes broken up (nine), made 37 tackles and blocked an extra point in the 17-16 victory versus Penn State. 4. Todd Lyght (1987) — The current Irish defensive backs coach began his rookie year by starting twice at free safety (he moved to corner the next year). In 145:40 of field time, he recorded 29 tackles, blocked a punt, broke up two passes, intercepted another throw and caused a fumble. 5. Tom Carter (1990) — He made six straight starts at free safety, and in 162:59 he was credited with 19 tackles.