Transcript from Ara Parseghian's Memorial Service
ANNE THOMPSON: "If you make a contribution and you're willing to work, you will be rewarded." That's how Thom Gatewood remembers Ara Parseghian's recruiting pitch. It could have been Ara's mantra.
Ara made so many contributions. He worked phenomenally hard, and he was richly rewarded with long life, with love and, most of all, with family, the family he and Katie made--they were married 68 years. And the family they chose, Notre Dame. Welcome to this celebration of the extraordinary life of Ara Parseghian, hosted by the Parseghian family.
I'm Anne Thompson. I'm a graduate of the University. I'm a member of the Board of Trustees. And, most importantly, today, I am a friend of Mike and Cindy Parseghian.
Over the years, we cheered Ara's many public rewards--two national championships, 25 consensus All‑Americans, a Heisman Trophy winner.
But, this afternoon, the Parseghian family wants to focus on the more private accomplishments, the rewards of being a parent, a grandparent and a great‑grandparent, and the challenge of persevering when faced with things so cruel that you want to curse God.
The son of immigrants who led a team nicknamed for immigrants lit up at the sight of his grandchildren. The man who taught men who weighed 250, 260, 270 pounds how to block and tackle loved nothing more than to hold a great‑grandchild in his arms while he lounged on his Lazy Boy.
The Parseghian family tree starts with Ara and Katie. Their first child, Karan, was married to Jim. They have two sons, Jim Jr. and Michael.
Karan died after living with multiple sclerosis for four decades. The middle child, Kris—she, too, married a man named Jim. And they have three children, Taran, Jamie and Kaly.
And the baby, Mike, who did not marry a man named Jim. Mike married Cindy. And next month they will celebrate 40 years of marriage. They have four children--Ara, Michael, Christa and Marcia. Michael, Christa and Marcia died of Niemann‑Pick Type C disease, and today is the 12th anniversary of Marcia going to heaven.
And then there are Ara and Katie's 10 great‑grandchildren. It is an extraordinary family. This afternoon, we will hear from people who knew Ara in many different ways. Their stories will pull on your heartstrings, they'll tickle your funny bone, and I can guarantee you, you're going to leave inspired.
Now, you might remember that one of the reasons Ara came to Notre Dame from Northwestern was that he just wasn't very happy about the student support at Northwestern despite the teams that he fielded.
He soon found out that would not be a problem here at Notre Dame. The students loved him. They believed he could do anything. And one of the family's favorite stories, one of the stories they loved to tell each other and tell other people, is about that one home game when it was snowing like crazy. I know you're thinking it's South Bend--every home game it snows like crazy afterOctober 15.
Well, the students at this game were apparently less than enthralled with the action that was happening on the field, and they started chanting, "Ara, stop the snow." The flakes continued to fall, the students continued to chant, and the chants grew so loud that Ara actually heard them on the sidelines.
And let's just say he wasn't pleased. So he turned around and looked at the student section and went like this (raise her arms), as if to say what the heck. And legend has it, the snow stopped. (Laughter).
And he apparently turned to one of his assistant coaches and said, "Did I do that?" Even Ara was amazed. One of the players Ara amazed was Peter Schivarelli. And on first hearing Peter Schivarelli's story, you might call him a late bloomer.
Like so many young men, Peter came to Notre Dame with the hope of playing football for Ara. But that was after Peter had spent four years in Chicago not going to high school but working as a hot dog entrepreneur.
He walked on to the team as a freshman--he was older than most of the seniors--and Peter stayed, an opportunity that changed his life. Throughout his career as manager of the band "Chicago," Schivarelli has honored Ara, one of the driving forces behind Ara's sculpture outside of the stadium.
And when you leave today, if you stop by that sculpture, you might take notice of the players who are there. And one of the numbers is 68. Guess whose number that was? Most extraordinarily, Peter has made sure that a dollar of every ticket the band "Chicago" has sold for the last 23 years has gone to the Ara Parseghian Research Medical Foundation to help find a cure for Niemann‑Pick Type C.
Ladies and gentlemen, from the Class of 1971, please welcome No. 68, Peter Schivarelli.
(Applause).
PETER SCHIVARELLI: Thank you. First I'd like to thank Katie, Cindy, Mike and the Parseghian family for allowing me to speak about Ara today.
My first time seeing Ara was in 1964. I had graduated from high school in 1963 with several offers to visit some Big Ten schools. But I declined to even visit because my heart was always set on going to Notre Dame.
However, my good friend, Joe Marsico, did receive a scholarship to Notre Dame. And I would come to South Bend and visit him at every home game. After being around for four straight home games, my path crossed with Ara.
He gave me a look that I interpreted as: Why do I always see you around here?
Three years later, our relationship escalated to "Hi, Coach." And Ara would nod to me and say to me, "How are you doing?"
One day he came over and posed a question to me: Did you ever go to college? I probably responded that I had a good job and a business.
Ara then said, "But why didn't you go to college?" And I told him, if I couldn't play football at Notre Dame, then I didn't have any interest in going to school.
He then said to me, "Get yourself a degree. Why don't you apply to school here and try out for the team as a walk‑on,” which I didn't even know you could do. That was so exciting to me to hear that I could possibly fulfill my dream.
Well, I did get into the University of Notre Dame and made the team. And I quickly saw that Ara's influence was everywhere. His assistant coaches--Tom Pagna, Joe Yonto and especially George Kelly--were inspired by Ara's leadership and determination, as well as all his players.
I quickly realized that no matter how hard we worked, Ara always outworked us.
We always felt that we were totally prepared for any situation. Ara always brought a special strength to the team, especially when he would say to us that we have no breaking point.
One of the many words of wisdom that he also passed on to us was make sure you're getting your education, because even the best of you can lose fame in a few short years.
My four years at Notre Dame flew by with many unbelievable victories, and I was treated as well as any All‑American on the team by Ara and his staff.
My last game was set to be the 1971 Cotton Bowl versus Texas. We hadn't lost a game for three years. Upon arrival in Dallas, there were a group of our fans as excited to see Ara as they were our team.
To my surprise, there was a small group of fans calling my name. They had newspaper stories about my journey to Notre Dame, and then I realized that this was the work of the best sports information director in the business, Roger Valdiserri.
(Applause).
What I also figured out was all the good press I had received the last two years was designed by Ara with Roger. You see, we had so many amazing players on that team, with the spotlight on me, a third‑stringer who rarely played, the great players would not feel competition amongst each other.
Finally, for this last game, I was a nervous wreck. Joe Theismann, who was next to me in the locker room, said, "Relax. Ara has a great game plan for us." We then went on to beat Texas soundly.
Having Ara for a coach completely surpassed all of my dreams to play football for Notre Dame. Then, in 1974, Notre Dame was coming to play USC in Los Angeles.
The guys in the band "Chicago," who had all moved to Los Angeles, wanted to go to the game. I reached out to Coach Ara who okayed them to stand on the sidelines with the team.
It was a big thrill for a bunch of young guys in a rock band and something that they would never forget. Well, 20 years later, we received the horrible news about Cindy and Mike's three beautiful children, and the band and I wanted to support them any way we could.
From that one meeting at that 1974 game, Ara made such an impression on the band with his generosity and kindness, that they couldn't wait to jump in and help him and his family.
So then, in 1995, we performed our first concert for Niemann‑Pick right here in this same arena and haven't stopped supporting their foundation ever since.
Over the past several days, I have received many calls, texts and e‑mails from people expressing their sadness over the loss of Ara. He had a bigger influence on me than even my own father. And I feel that no one will miss him more than I do. He changed my life.
(Applause).
ANNE THOMPSON: Our next speaker has ties to Ara's Ohio roots. Growing up in the Buckeye state, like Peter, Greg Crawford dreamed of playing for Ara. We are all thankful he became a physicist.
Because when Greg came to Notre Dame to be dean of the College of Science, that admiration of Ara turned into a friendship. In fact, Ara said of Greg "It was like he was dropped out of heaven." As Greg learned about the Parseghian's efforts to find a crew for Niemann‑Pick Type C, Greg experienced Ara's legendary optimism and determination.
And it so inspired Greg that he got on his bike and rode more than 14,700 miles to raise money for the foundation. Many of those miles with his wife, Renate, riding alongside. I don't know about you, but I get sore thinking about it.
About a year ago, Greg became president of Miami University, Ara's alma mater, and the cradle of his coaching career. And one of his first act was to award Ara the President's Medal.
Please welcome Miami University president Greg Crawford and his wife Renate.
(Applause).
GREG CRAWFORD: Thank you to the Parseghians for including us in the celebration of Coach's life. When I told Coach Ara about the opportunity to become president of Miami university last year, he responded, "I guess there's only one place I'd let you go." He had often told me about Miami in the years we worked together in the fight against NPC.
This is where he met Katie, Class of 1950. We call such marriages Miami Mergers. He played football at Miami. He got a bachelor's and a master's in education.
He became head football coach and he served on the Board of Trustees. More than that, he was a living example of Miami's deepest virtues and values extolled in our alma mater, our motto and our legendary greeting.
Our alma mater at Miami says "Alumni are sturdy-hearted, pure of soul." That's our coach.
Our motto is "Prodesse Quam Conspici," a Latin phrase that means "to achieve without becoming conspicuous." That's Coach.
Our deepest values are expressed in our greeting, love and honor. That's Coach.
Coach was sturdy in his determination to defeat NPC, unwavering even after his grandchildren succumbed to the disease, with the pure motive to help NPC children and families.
When he was autographing a football, Coach would often sign "best wish." Not "wishes" plural, for that one wish was the best of all. And I know his best wish was a cure for NPC.
Coach achieved without being conspicuous, never calling attention to himself. Like every other Catholic boy growing up in the 1970s, I dreamed of playing for Ara Parseghian.
He was larger than life. When I wound up working with him fighting NPC, I marveled at his humility and magnanimity. You would never guess that this was a legendary coach with two national championships.
When being honored by the March of Dimes soon after his grandchildren received the NPC diagnosis, he said, "My greatest achievement, I'd like to think, is maybe ahead of me."
Coach demonstrated his love and honor with intense loyalty to his family. He was Katie's husband, Mike and Karan and Kris' dad, a grandfather and great‑grandfather. He was loyal to his players, his alma mater, his friends and family suffering from NPC who needed his support.
Love and honor came back to him. I will never forget that day last October when he and Katie landed in little old Oxford airport on RedHawk One. Sixty years after Coach left, he was still a legend at Miami. The student-athletes all lined up along the taxiway to welcome Coach and Katie with love and honor.
When I was here at Notre Dame, I visited Coach's statue near the stadium countless times for inspiration. I found comfort passing that famous statue. Fortunately for me, we have a statue of Ara in our cradle of coaches at Miami. Kneeling down, that fist open in what looks like a peace sign, catching a moment when he was calling a play from the sidelines.
One of my first acts at Miami University was to award the President's Medal. And as I read through the high standards, somebody who truly exemplified love and honor and extraordinary life achievements, there was no doubt who that first medal would go to.
There is no greater model than Coach Ara of living Miami values for our students, our faculty, our staff and our alumni, or for me.
RENATE CRAWFORD: On our daily runs, Greg and I often run the bleachers at Yager Stadium passing that cradle of coaches where Ara's statue proudly stands. We are glad that he will forever be watching over our Miami family.
Being at Miami, we have seen the campus culture of love and honor that helps explain Coach's remarkable life, his virtuous character and his extraordinary service to humanity.
Coach is Greg's favorite, always was, and always will be. He's mine, too. Even if I had trouble following his football analogies, one thing is clear: What he has done for all those mothers whose children suffer from NPC, he gave them courage; he gave them hope; he gave them optimism. He gave researchers the confidence to persevere.
You are our hero, Coach. And the hero of all those NPC families and children. Watch over us from above and call that last play that gets your NPC team over the goal line to the championship of a cure, a play call that will surely be a sign of healing and peace.
GREG CRAWFORD: On behalf of a grateful Miami University, on behalf of our athletic director, David Sayler; our head football coach, Chuck Martin; board chair, Mark Ridenour and the entire Miami family, I say: Thank you, Coach. We will miss you dearly. You will forever be our coach. You will forever be my coach. Thank you.
(Applause).
ANNE THOMPSON: Katie, do you want to come up and help me? Ara's friends extended far beyond the worlds of football, academics and medical research. He had friends in the music world as well. Now, Ara could play the piano and the organ, but singing wasn't his thing.
Luckily, it's what our next guest does as well as anyone. This friend came to Ara through his daughter‑in‑law Cindy. The singer Amy Grant was flipping through People magazine one day, and she came across a story about Michael, Christa and Marcia, and the family's fight with Niemann‑Pick Type C. And Amy was so touched that she reached out and asked how she could help.
And Cindy being Cindy, took no prisoners and said, "Could you come sing at one of our benefits?" And Amy said, "Yes."
And she showed up and she sang. And she showed up time and time and time again to help the foundation.
Amy wanted to be here, but she had commitments she had to honor today. So her husband said, "Well, honey, I'll do it." And luckily her husband is a guy who has sold more than 26 million albums and is a member of the Country Hall of Fame, but most of all he's a cherished family friend. Please welcome Vince Gill.
(Applause).
VINCE GILL: Thank you. Thank you. What an honor to get to come and sing for a great man, a beautiful family and an amazing university. I'm pinch hitting today. Amy wanted to be here so badly. Her friendship with the Parseghian family has been beautiful to witness.
And I got to go a few times, got to meet Ara and play some golf with him over the years, and that's where I meet most of my heroes. Joe Theismann is here today, great friend, and we played some golf together.
But anyway, I was hoping, as I was watching all this, I was a sports nut. I loved athletics and I could play a little bit of everything. Not very well. I was just kind of sitting there hoping I wish they could have given a scholarship for an Anthem singer, I might have got to go to college.
Anyway, I'll sing you this song. I'll bring you a song from my bride, Amy Grant. This is a song we wrote together, and hope it makes you feel better.
(Singing "Threaten me with Heaven")
(Applause).
ANNE THOMPSON: Wow.
Now, I don't know anyone who wants to hear Lou Holtz sing, but I do know that we love to hear him talk and tell stories. And he is here to reminisce about the man he calls his role model in every aspect of his life and a true friend.
Ladies and gentlemen, Lou Holtz.
(Applause).
LOU HOLTZ: Thank you. I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to talk about my good friend Ara. But, first, I want to say what a beautiful ceremony that was with Father Jenkins and the priests. I thought Tom’s (Parseghian) eulogy after was absolutely fantastic. I wanted to applaud myself, but I was in church.
We're here to celebrate Ara, not to be sad. He provided so much love and happiness to so many people. I used to always say this, it's a question we should all ask ourselves: If we didn't show up who would miss us and why? If you didn't go home, would anybody miss you and why? If you didn't go to work, would anybody miss you?
I'm here to tell you that had Ara Parseghian not shown up, so many people would have missed him because of the insight, his love and his feeling and caring for people. He's really a tremendous individual.
A lot of people can be successful, but Ara was significant. Significance is when you help other people be successful. Of course that lasts many a lifetime.
Ladies and gentlemen, there's approximately 422,000 words in the English language. To me the most important word by far is a word "choice." Whatever happens to us in our life are because of choices we make.
One thing about Ara, he made great choices. He chose Katie. He chose the coaching profession. He chose to serve this country. He chose to graduate from college as well as get his master's degree. He also chose to give so unselfishly to so many causes.
As been cited here by so many people, yes, Coach's accomplishments are great, but what he has done for Niemann‑Pick C is tremendous. I spent a lot of time with Ara at fundraisers, et cetera. He was just a genuine, caring person.
And obviously Notre Dame made a great choice when they hired Ara Parseghian. There's a book, I believe it's titled "Quotable Notre Dame" that was done by Jim and Jill Langford.
I want to quote what Father Hesburgh said. "I would have to say that hiring Ara Parseghian was one of the smartest things we ever did at Notre Dame."
Was that ever so true. One of the smartest things Notre Dame has ever done. But Ara also made a good choice by coming here to the University of Notre Dame because I want to quote what Ara said. "I can honestly say that the Notre Dame years were the greatest period of my life and my family's life. Our loyalty to and respect for Notre Dame will always be a part of me."
He loved Notre Dame. I spent an awful lot of time with him. He was my golf partner in the summer all the time.
He was a great golfer. As was mentioned, he was a club champion. He told me very proudly, he said, "Lou at 78 years of age I thought I shot my age 78 times." I said, "Ara at 78 I shot my weight 78 times."
(Laughter).
But he also had a great sense of humor. You always talk about accomplishments. After we won the national championship, and I always sought advice from Ara. He never said you oughta do this or do that, but every time I asked my question, he answered it honestly.
And after we won the national championship, I said what change is there going to be? He said, "Number one, you're going to be the same person that you were your first year when you had a losing season. Don't think you're smart. Don't think you're special."
He said, "Everybody talked about the snow. My first year in November they're hollering, ‘Stop the snow, Ara, stop the snow.’” He walked over to Tom Pagna, his offensive coordinator, and he said, “Do you think I can?”
Ten years later, the same thing happened. They said, "Stop the snow, Ara, stop the snow." Ara said, "I walked over to Tom Pagna and I said, "Do you think I should?"
That's the difference in the mentality over the years. But was a great coach. And you know, they talk about the great wins. Everybody talks about the Sugar Bowl when 24‑23, two minutes and 12 seconds left to go and they have the ball third down and six on their own 5‑yard line.
Ara decides he's going to run a pass, decides to go a long count, hopefully it would draw them offsides. All of a sudden (Dave) Casper jumps offsides, got another penalty. And Ara stayed with the call.
It was one of the most brilliant calls ever and able to pick up 35 yards to Webber, and Notre Dame went on to win the game. Yeah, that's what they talk about.
But what I want to talk about is his first year here at Notre Dame, after five years of no‑winning seasons, a 2‑7 year in 1963, they go 9‑0. They go out and they play USC and lose to USC 20‑17, a bitter game. I want to quote what Ara said in the locker room.
He said, "Hold your tongue and lift your head up high in the face of defeat. Be a Notre Dame man. I've never been associated with a greater bunch of guys than you. No one will ever forget the achievement you made this year."
They came back--it was nine degrees out--the fans lined it from the airport to here. They walked into the old Fieldhouse. And all the students were in there chanting and hollering. For 20 minutes they screamed at the top of their heads and Ara felt he should say something.
He got up and he said, "I had hoped we would bring back the national championship." They started hollering: You did it. They started screaming harder and the band started playing. They played the alma mater.
And Ara says one of the most emotional times, and I get emotional even thinking about, what a tremendous person he is, what a great friend, but just an individual that didn't want to be any more important but he was always willing to help you in so many ways.
And we're here, and this is the last time I get a chance to talk about it. But I've been often thought about the word “dash," and I've cited this, said it in many speeches years over, but it really applies to Ara.
It says:
“I've seen the dash stare at me, the way many eyes could not know. I've seen death take a lot of other people and left me here below. I've heard many mothers' cries, but death refused to hear. And in my life I've seen a lot of faces filled with many, many tears.
“After death has come and gone, the tombstone sits for many to see. There's no more than a symbol of a person's memory. Under the tombstone's date of birth and the date that he passed, but thinking about the tombstone, the only important thing's is the dash. Yes, I say the name of the person but that I might forget, I read the date of birth and death but even that might not stick. But thinking about the person, I can't help to think about the dash, because that represents a person's life and that will always last.
So when you begin to charter your life, make sure you're on a positive path, because people may forget your birth and death but never forget your dash.”
They'll never forget Ara Parseghian. And Ara Parseghian will live for many, many generations. Why? Because of the people he affected. He affected me. And the players that I affected were affected because of Ara Parseghian.
I cannot say enough. Yes, we're sad. I lost a friend. I lost a mentor. I lost a fellow coach and I lost a golfing partner. But, ladies and gentlemen, I tend to focus on how fortunate and how blessed I was to be around such a positive influence in my life as Ara Parseghian.
Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts.
(Applause).
[MUSIC PLAYING] [VIDEO]
ANNE THOMPSON: Love thee Notre Dame, it is what binds us and it's what brought our next speaker here. Back in November 1965, Ara got a letter after Notre Dame's 29‑3 drubbing of Navy.
It came from a rookie coach, from a small Catholic high school in Pennsylvania, who didn't have much of a record but had a whole lot of chutzpah.
The 24‑year‑old man wrote down his dream that he wanted to be the head basketball coach at Notre Dame. That letter went straight into the crazy letter file.
You've got to remember those were the days before (Digger’s longtime administrative assistant) Dottie Van Paris was around to correct the young man's spelling. That young man would achieve his dream, and Ara would pull the letter out of the file and it would become part of Notre Dame's lore.
The young man would learn the art of leadership from his mentor, and he would learn that his mentor loves to play elaborate practical jokes, and his son, Rick, at four years old, would discover that Ara kept candy in a desk drawer.
Please welcome Richard "Digger" Phelps.
(Applause).
RICHARD "DIGGER" PHELPS: Thank you, Anne. And to Katie and to her family, thank you for having me here. Yes, it was back in '65-‘66, I'm a young coach at Saint Gabriel's High School in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.
That October I wrote the letter to Ara, and it stated this: I love Notre Dame. I love the essence of Notre Dame and what you're doing in football some day I want to do in basketball.
Yes, six years later, at the age of 29, I show up. I get the job that May. And in June The Monogram Club had their alumni golf outing weekend.
So I came out from New York to play in that, because we didn't move out here until August. So that night, Roger Valdiserri, the great sports information director of Notre Dame, and Ara and I are talking up there in the Monogram Room before the banquet.
And we talk about that letter. And, yes, Roger asked Ara, "Do you think you still have that letter?"
Ara says, "It might be down in a filing cabinet. Here's the keys, go down and look in my office under the crazy letter file."
Sure enough, Rog and I go down, we look out, pull up--and there's the crazy letter file. We open it up and there's the letter to Ara Parseghian. And we take it back up to him. And it is like we're shaking our heads laughing.
Well, the follow‑up. We all know that on January 1, 1974, the night before, Tommy Clements from Pittsburgh, the quarterback, seals the deal for that one‑point win over Alabama.
And on January 19, 1974, right here, Dwight Clay from Pittsburgh hits the shot to seal the deal so we win by one point.
And that Sunday, January 20, everybody's back in school and there's going to be a big celebration in here for the football team, winning that national title, vintage Ara.
He invites me to be here to be introduced on that stage for what we accomplished the day before. And, yes, January 20, here, we reflect back on January 1 that year. We were number one in football. On January 19 that year, we were number one in basketball. The Ara letter became reality.
And another thing would happen, as I got involved, later that June we go to a golf tournament in Dayton, Ohio called Bogie Busters run by the Laughter Corporation. Everybody from Hollywood Dinah Shore, Bob Hope, Les Brown and His Band of Renown, from General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, people like Lee Iacocca. Politicians, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Dan Quayle and a guy named Dean Birch. It was a fundraiser for MS. It became a monster.
Well, Cy Laughter and a bunch of us go play golf in Washington, D.C., and we go in the White House to see Dean Birch, he was a White House aide, and I see that office and I go, oh, my God I gotta have one like that.
So I come back, called Dwayne Elliott of Fletcher’s Furniture. I said, "Dwayne, I want a White House office. Here's what has to be in there. They start with the kelly green carpet. Beautiful desk. Chair matching. A couch, a coffee table, lamps, pictures on the wall, beautiful.
I go home that night with a big smile on my face. I have a White House office. I come in the next morning. My office was trashed. None of the furniture is in there. And I end up looking and there's a toilet seat broken where my desk was, a broken table, a broken lamp.
I go down the hallway and Ara's having a staff meeting in his conference room. And I go in that door and he gives me that look like "What do you want?"
I said, "Where's my furniture?"
"What you are you talking about?"
"You know, where's my furniture?"
And I look down and there's some of the staff, Mike Stock, Greg Blache and Gene Smith all laughing because they were, uh‑huh, the guys that helped rip it up.
Well, I gotta go on a scavenger hunt all over the building, aha, and Dottie, my secretary, Dottie Van Paris, she said to me, "Digger, I found the chair to your desk.
“It is in the ladies' room in a stall behind the door.” (Laughter).
From that moment on, anytime I saw Ara, yes, even here a year ago, July 9, when Linda had a surprise 75th birthday party for me and I see Katie and Ara, Jim Gibbons and his wife, and Rog, as soon as I said hello to everybody, I look at him and I say, "Hey, there's a lamp still missing, where is it?"
(Laughter).
But he became my big brother when I got here at the age of 29. He was also a mentor. I would go down ‑‑ and back then they had eight millimeter film. You had this machine and I would watch him break it down, he would let me in his office to share it with him, show me where the offense broke down or defense broke down.
I'd go to his practices. I'd watch his strategy. I even watched them practice before they went to play Alabama in that championship game over here in the old hockey ring area.
And I said to him, "ARA, can I have a sideline pass? I want you to coach that national championship game."
Between Roger and him, I get the sideline pass and second quarter I'm down on the field with 80,000 fans watching him coach against Bear Bryant.
Well, I will say as a young coach, the success I had as young as I was, that part of my life it was Ara being my big brother and my mentor. He was incredible when it came to being who he was and how he was especially in letting me learn and know and understand how to coach here at Notre Dame, because the first thing I learned from him, he said, "Digger, you have to understand this: Every game you play it's the other team's Super Bowl. So your kids have got to really be ready and above being ready because the other team's coming after you."
I never forgot that one. Yet, there was Katie, his wife. There's a lady on the dome. She's the Blessed Mother. But Katie, she was the heart and soul by his side until he passed. May he rest in peace. Ara, we miss you.
(Applause).
ANNE THOMPSON: Before we close, the Parseghian family would like to thank Notre Dame, in particular Micki Kidder, Cristi Ganyard, Lou Nanni and Father John (Jenkins) for helping them on this journey. As well as the Notre Dame Children's Choir and the band for their performances today. And all of you, the entire Notre Dame community, they have been so blessed to be held up by all your prayers and your stories and your expressions of sympathy.
Now after big victories, Ara would often recite a poem to his team, and as he worked through physical therapy last month, Mike says Ara suddenly blurted out the poem word for word. And it goes like this:
"Remember this whole life through, that tomorrow there will be more to do. And failure waits for all who stray, with some success made yesterday. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is the future."
Thank you, Ara, for rewarding us with such illustrious history, a history on which we promise to build an even better future.