Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME of Notre Dame Stadium. Collins had his debut as the stadium public address announcer in the team's first home night game against Michigan in 1982. He graduated from Notre Mike Collins is in the 31st season as the voice Dame in 1967 and worked in South Bend for several years as an anchor on the local news before taking over the loudspeaker. He joined Blue & Gold Illustrated this week to discuss his memories and what he calls one of his favor- ite seasons yet. What was your favorite game to call in the past 30 years? Collins: "From the past, Blue & Gold Illustrated: I would say I most enjoyed the Penn State series that we had here in the 90s. Be- ing from Pennsylvania, these two teams playing the same style of hard-nosed football, it seemed to me we always ended up playing in snow flurries. "The Penn State series has always stuck with me. It's two teams with plain uniforms knocking each other around the football field." of the stadium atmosphere as anyone. Has it been livelier this year? Collins: "I have to say there have been some Blue & Gold Illustrated: You get as good a view times where I've been disappointed a bit where I thought there should have been more energy in the building. I'm not pointing a finger at any- body. I don't know why. "I do know we have a lot of fans who have held Collins made his debut as the sta- dium public address announcer in Notre Dame's first home night game against Michigan in 1982. PHOTO MIKE BENNETT/LIGHTHOUSE IMAGING NOTRE DAME STADIUM ANNOUNCER MIKE COLLINS Five Questions With … on to season tickets for a long, long time and therefore the fans are getting a little bit older. You don't scream your head off as you get older. I think it all has to regenerate itself." Blue & Gold Illustrated: Where did the "Here Come The Irish" call as the team en- ters the stadium get started? Collins: "Everybody thinks that 'Here Come The Irish' has been around since Knute Rockne. That is not true. I can't even remember the game, but it was sometime probably in the late 90s or somewhere around there. "It was a big game. I was re- ally pumped and they came out of the tunnel and I just did it. After the game my wife said, 'I really liked that. You should do that every game.' She talked me into it. So I've done it every game since." Manti Te'o's last name anymore when he makes a tackle. How does one get on a first-name basis with the PA announcer? Collins: "Be Manti. He's the only one. Or the only other one in the past would have been Rocket. I'm very skimpy on nicknames because after a while they become silly." rank in the ones that you've seen? Collins: "Looking back at it, it's a season that Blue & Gold Illustrated: Where does this season revitalized the program and it also revitalized the public address announcer to be honest with you." — Dan Murphy Blue & Gold Illustrated: I noticed you don't use