Hamburg, Germany - It couldn't have been scripted any better. That was the consensus after Notre Dame's alumni football team utilized a game-saving end zone interception by Ivory Covington on the final play to hold off the Hamburg Blue Devils 14-10 in front of a noisy crowd of 18,500 at Volksparkstadion in Hamburg.

The Irish overcame two early missed field goals and a 3-0 deficit as Steve Belles rushed for one score and threw for another to give the Irish a 14-3 lead midway through the final period. But, the Blue Devils roared back, scoring a touchdown with just more than four minutes remaining - and they were knocking on the door again as the final play unfolded with 0.9 seconds left on the clock.

That's when Covington made a diving end zone interception as the Hamburg team ran its final play on a second-and-goal situation from the Irish seven.

"I thought we had you guys," said Blue Devil defensive end Tuli Mateialona in the joint press conference after the game. "It must have been the luck of the Irish."

"Watch out for those little leprechauns," said Irish tailback Reggie Brooks, who was selected the Notre Dame MVP by the Blue Devils' fan club and received a trophy during the press conference.

"The whole atmosphere was electric," said Blue Devil assistant Jeff Reinebold. "The way the Notre Dame players were jumping around, I don't think the game was any less important to them than when they won the national championship in 1988."

Neither team had much success running the football, with the Irish netting only 47 yards on the ground and the Blue Devils managing only 52. Brooks paced he Irish with 46 yards on 13 carries, including a key 14-yard gain on a third-down play in the final minutes.

Irish starter Terry Andrysiak threw for 129 yards. Belles came off the bench and hit a 50-yard bomb to Clint Johnson on his first throw of the night, setting up his own two-yard option keeper on third down.

Notre Dame began by driving 48 yards in 10 plays to start the game, before Ted Gradel's 39-yard field goal came up just short. Andrysiak completed his first three passes of the game for a combined 28 yards. Then, Hamburg came right back, using a 51-yard passing gain to set itself up at the Irish 14 where Andreas Lefevre connected from 31 yards for a 3-0 Blue Devil lead.

The Irish fumbled the football away on their next series after a 59-yard throw from Andrysiak to Adrian Jarrell took Notre Dame to the Blue Devil nine. To start the second period the Irish missed out on a 13-play march that reached the Hamburg eight, when Gradel missed left from 35 yards out. It was Ty Goode's interception near midfield that set up the first Notre Dame points, with Belles hitting Johnson for 44 on the next play.

The two teams traded fumbles early in the third period, and a second Irish recovery after a Blue Devil pass completion set up Notre Dame at the Hamburg 36. This time, Belles, hit Johnson for a 23-yard touchdown play to make it 14-3.

The final Hamburg points came on a 49-yard drive, the last 31 on a pass from Matt Wyatt (a former Mississippi State quarterback) to Che Johnson (he played at New Mexico).

Two Brooks' runs for 14 yards each gained first downs for Notre Dame. But the Irish finally had to punt and Hamburg took over with 1:33 left on its own 47. Wyatt's passing put the Blue Devils within striking distance, but Covington ended the suspense a moment later.

IRISH ITEMS: The game started about 15 minutes late, as afternoon rain slowed down the pregame pageantry. There were some 400 cheerleaders surrounding the field throughout the game. . . Game-time temperatures were in the 50s, after the team bus drove through a downpour to reach the stadium . . . Just prior to Notre Dame taking the field, a six-minute video highlighting Notre Dame football was shown on the big screen at one end of the stadium . . . The Irish entered the field to a standing ovation and fireworks . . . Leprechaun Michael Brown was in attendance for the game . . . The boisterous atmosphere was helped by recorded music that played throughout the game . . . Said Reinebold after the game, "A lot of people thought this game would never happen. They laughed when it was suggested. What you saw today will probably never happen again on this continent." . . . The first busload of Irish players was slated to leave the hotel for the airport at 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning (Hamburg time).

Notre Dame Individual Leaders

RUSHING - Reggie Brooks 13-46, Dean Lytle 8-23, Mark Green 2-12, Chris Smith 4-2, Lee Becton 3-0, Steve Belles 2-(-1), Pat Steenberge 1-(-5), Terry Andrysiak 4-(-30).

PASSING - Terry Andrysiak 16-7-0-129, Steve Belles 8-4-0-77-1 TD, Pat Steenberge 1-1-0-(-3).

RECEIVING - Emmett Mosley 3-48, Lee Becton 2-7, Clint Johnson 2-67-1 TD, Adrian Jarrell 2-73, Reggie Brooks 2-(-5), Cikai Champion 1-13.

PUNTING - Scott Palumbo 6-247-41.2

KICKOFF RETURNS - Lee Becton 1-5.

PUNT RETURNS - Clint Johnson 2-32.

TACKLES (solos, assists, total) - Ivory Covington 5-0-5, Reggie Fleurima 3-1-4, Ty Goode 3-0-3, Pat Eilers 3-1-4, Melvin Dansby 2-0-2, Dave Butler 2-0-2, Wes Pritchett 1-1-2, Jeremy Sample 2-0-2, Kurt Belisle 2-0-2, Mark Monahan 0-2-2, one each by Brandy Wells, Steve Belles, Dean Lytle, Adrian Jarrell, Scott Palumbo, Bill Gibbs, Mike James, Tom Freeman, Brian Hamilton, D'Juan Francisco.

SACKS - Reggie Fleurima, Dave Butler, Melvin Dansby.

July 13, 2000

On July 8, 2000, in Volksparkstadium in Hamburg, Germany, a team of Notre Dame alumni football players met the Hamburg Blue Devils in Charity Bowl VIII. The Fighting Irish team was represented by players who had seen varsity action over the past 30 years in South Bend, Ind., and wherever this historic team traveled.

Many of them had played in the National Football League, a handful were All-Americans, and there were numerous team captains -- but all had given up the game some years prior to putting on the pads one more time in Germany. This game was for charity, for friendship, and for a rekindling of the spirit that is truly unique to Notre Dame football. I happened to be the elder statesman of this team, and just happy to be out there with the rest of the guys, throwing the ball and trying to get us on the scoreboard.

Pat Steenberge #11
Class of '73

One More Golden Moment?

"Pass 52 Race, on one Pass 52 Race, on one--ready, break!"

As I head to the line of scrimmage it all seems so familiar, yet so surrealistic. Is this real or fantasy?

My mind races through a well-memorized checklist in the three seconds or so until I reach under center to start the cadence. Get the snap, reverse pivot, good hand fake, eyes into his stomach, he'll be open--just wait for things to open up, TD coming, hang it out there so the receiver can run under it, this will be complete . . . .

"Set" (got to yell louder with those blasted whistles blowing)

"Blue-11, Blue-11" (perfect--the safety is creeping up to support the run)

"Hike"

The snap is hard and clean. I step back with my left foot to six o'clock, ball into my stomach just like I learned in fourth grade, here comes the tailback, whoa, something on my right foot, falling down, on the ground, whistle blows, fourth down.

As I jog to the sideline, a very long ways as I recall, to the questioning eyes of the coach, I wonder what just happened. Why did I go down? Did a lineman get pushed back onto me? Did I simply stumble on my own? That's a distinct possibility since it was 29 years ago that I last played real football. No, surely I got tripped. But I wanted so badly to complete that pass. We could have iced the game with a score; gone up by 18 points, and I would be a star again.

The festive crowd of 19,000 fanatical Germans is still rockin', the music is still blaring as if I am at Woodstock, whistles are screeching, but disappointment sinks deeply into my gut as I try to explain what happened to NFL Europe coach Peter Vaas, our quarterback coach for this alumni game.

Catching a sip of water, strange memories haunt me. This is all too reminiscent of Purdue in a downpour that September afternoon of 1971, when an errant snap got buried in the mud at the one-yard line and the Boilermakers recovered. The same trek to the sideline, Ara looking bewildered, my teammates distraught as time was running short and we continued to trail 7-0.

Now, our very veteran team, whose average age is well over 30 years, will have to hold on with older legs, but with the same battle-honed determination that has been a trademark of Fighting Irish teams since Rockne. We have players here who were trained by Parseghian, Devine, Faust, Holtz and Davie, who have stood up to USC, Michigan, Penn State, Florida State and all the others who would make their seasons by defeating Notre Dame.

Hamburg mounts a drive, aided by a mysterious fourth down interference call that ignites them and gives them belief. Touchdown, Blue Devils! Now this is all too dramatic, as we only lead by four points with too much time left in the fourth quarter. Why couldn't we have gotten a few first downs and run the clock some?

Terry Andrysiak, a solid, confident quarterback, leads the offense back out, but after one first down we have to punt again. With less than one minute to play the Volkparkstadium is in utter chaos. It seems there are 100,000 fans here, and they are witnessing an unbelievable finish to the 1,000th game (does this really count?) In the storied history of Notre Dame football. If this is not just a wonderful dream, the first Notre Dame game of the 21st century is going down to the wire.

Our defense is gritty, but certainly weary. Our wonderful hosts this week made sure that we were softened up by the bowl-like atmosphere of boat rides, July 4th celebration, press conferences, dinner-musical, and a generally grand time each night. Hamburg has not attempted to run the ball in two quarters, relying on a passing game a la Florida State. Why do they have to play that cursed Seminole Indian sound track whenever the Blue Devils complete a pass?

Twenty seconds remain, a long fade into the corner where a Hamburg receiver is open, at the last moment Ty Goode leaps and tips it away.

There is a confident tension on the sideline, as we have all been here before. For the members of the '88 national championship team which form the nucleus of this alumni team, they clearly expect to be victorious over all odds. The rest of us do, also, especially against a team from another country, and regardless of our individual ages.

Eight seconds left, pass into the middle of the end zone, and Pat Eilers reaches up to bat it down.

For alumni head coach and current Irish defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, this is a defining moment, where both legend and reality tell us that Notre Dame men always can dig deeper. He relates this to his squad during the last timeout.

But, does Wes Pritchett at 34 years, an All-American 12 years ago, possessing unquestionable will to win, still have anything left? Do Melvin Dansby, Brian Hamilton and George Marshall, all brilliant players in their day, but whose best football is years behind them, have one more total effort of four seconds of action to give?

Shotgun formation, snap, roll left, throw left and low into the end zone . . . . Interception, Ivory Covington; we win 14-10!

The players and staff rush onto the field in mayhem as if we had just defeated Texas in the Cotton Bowl. There is hugging, grasping, hooting, embracing, savoring a spectacular completion to a truly unbelievable week. The simple innocence of youth returns for a fleeting moment, and the thrill of victory overwhelms each of us as the fireworks explode around the stadium.

About forty-five minutes later the team assembles again in the locker room, having received the Jim Thorpe Trophy, accolades from the adoring spectators, and heartfelt congratulations from each Hamburg Blue Devil player and coach. We've also saluted each section of fans together, holding hands, Germans and Americans, paying tribute to their loyalty; and as tradition would have it, one final golden helmet salute behind our bench to the Notre Dame faithful.

Presents are given to some of our hosts who treated us as well as any bowl committee had done. Axel Gernert, Hamburg owner and the person most responsible for making this dream come true, is praised for his faith and commitment to the Charity Bowl. Coach Skip Holtz, whose father over a decade of wins and losses had molded many of these somewhat greying men into champions, leads the squad in a rousing version of the greatest fight song of them all, the Notre Dame Victory March.

As I hesitatingly shed my helmet, cleats, blue jersey, shoulder pads and stretch socks for what certainly now would be the last time, my mind blurrily races over the moments of the past six days in Germany. If only I could stop action each of those days on the practice field with the guys, the nightly dinners and laughter, the afternoon tours with such silly jokes, the one-for-all feeling amongst this very special gang of once great players, but still great people.

Removing the thigh pads and knee pads from the gold pants, I carefully slip out the medals Father Riehle had provided us in a time-honored tradition of the pre-game Mass. I had requested and received four; one for each knee and each thigh. They worked!

Center Rick Kaczenski, a trim 25 years young who had graduated from Erie Cathedral Prep only a quarter century after I had, came over and apologized for getting knocked onto me during the fourth quarter, causing the busted play. We laughed aloud and high-fived one another as I felt relieved to know it was not just my 48-year-old clumsiness that had caused the loss.

In the misty dawn I ambled along the serene Lake Aubenalster in downtown Hamburg, having celebrated a final good-bye with this remarkable group of Notre Dame men, along with an amazing bunch of new German friends. It is now time to return to the beautiful reality that is my family and home in Texas. I am thankful for all my blessings as never before, clinging to a renewed understanding of just what makes Notre Dame so unique and special, and what separates football from all other types of sports . . . the people.

Just in case you don't remember, we beat Purdue 8-7 in 1971.

Updated notes from Friday night; live-stats will be available at www.H-B-D.de

July 7, 2000

HAMBURG, Germany - More notes and quotes on another cloudy, 64-degree day in Hamburg, with the Notre Dame alumni football team now only a day away from its matchup with the Hamburg Blue Devils:

• Real-time stats will be available for the game at www.H-D-B.de (Saturday night's kickoff converts to a noon EST start).
• Current Notre Dame defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and former Irish linebacker Wes Pritchett provided some humor while making comments at a joint barbeque featuring players and administrators from the Notre Dame contingent and the Hamburg Blue Devils. Mattison, who is serving as the official representative of the current Irish coaching staff, shared his observations from the recent practice sesssions. "A lot of these players have no idea what will happen in there when the game rolls around, and for a coach that's a little bit scary," Mattison said. "You see a guy like Wes Pritchett running down the field and you hope he gets a little faster by Saturday night." Pritchett-who clearly hasn't lost his trademark sense of humor or willingness for public speaking-later followed up on Mattison's comments while addressing the gathering. "You have to realize that even during my playing days at Notre Dame, back in 1988, that's as fast as a I ever ran. So I really haven't become any slower," Pritchett deadpanned.
• The Irish worked out in shorts for an hour Friday morning, with final on-field preparation consisting of a walk-through of all the Notre Dame offenses, defenses and special teams.
• Serving as captains of the Irish team are tailback Mark Green and safety Pat Eilers.
• The Notre Dame party attended a coat-and-tie reception Thursday evening for the game charity, Kinder helfen Kindern. Hamburger Abendblatt, the city's conservative newspaper, served as host for the reception after featuring the game in a special section of the Thursday edition of its paper. Representing Notre Dame on the speaking program was former cornerback D'Juan Francisco (now with the Notre Dame Alumni Association) who impressed guests by making his remarks in German. That earned Francisco a chance Friday to lead the team in jumping jacks, calling out numbers from one to 10 in German at practice. Francisco had not originally been expected to play because of injuries, but he now at least should suit up.
• Former defensive end Frank Stams, an '88 All-American, arrived in Hamburg Thursday to spend some time with many of his former teammates. Doctors advised him not to play, but there's some possibility he may yet suit up.
• Former Irish defensive back Mike Haywood, now on the LSU staff, has been handling the Notre Dame special teams.
• The offensive team that opened practice Friday featured Terry Andrysiak at quarterback, Mark Green at tailback, Dean Lytle at fullback, Mike Denvir at tight end, Emmett Mosley and Clint Johnson at wide receiver, Mike Perrino and Jim Kordas at tackle, Tom Freeman and Ron Plantz at guard and Rick Kaczenski at center. Look for Lee Becton and Clint Johnson deep for kickoff returns.
• The game Saturday will feature four 12-minute periods.
• The Hamburg team normally practices from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Most players work full-time jobs during the day and some commute from as far as 70 miles away for practice.
• Original plans called for the Notre Dame team to line up by jersey number and be introduced individually before the game, but the Irish coaches opted for the more traditional en masse entrance.
• After the game, both teams will line up along the sidelines and end lines, join hands and salute the crowd as part of a German tradition.
• Notre Dame coaches have been told to expect WWF-style introductions and entrances for the Hamburg team, as well as non-stop music throughout the game Ð potentially making audibles difficult. The Blue Devils also sponsor multiple groups of cheerleaders, all of whom will be present Saturday.
• Former Notre Dame quarterback Don White (1957-59), father of Irish assistant Brian White, made the trip and has been assisting with the Notre Dame linebackers.
• The two teams will attend a joint dinner Friday night at Volksparkstadion, with players exchanging gifts.
• Notre Dame team chaplain Rev. James Riehle, C.S.C., was featured in the tabloid Hamburger Morgan Post Friday, under a headline that suggested he was the Fighting Irish representative with the best connections to the top.
• The German football magazine Huddle appeared on newsstands Friday, with its cover featuring artwork of the Notre Dame team heading down the Notre Dame Stadium tunnel and the interior including biographies of all the Notre Dame players.
• The awarding of the soccer World Cup to Germany made the front page of all the German papers Friday after the announcement Thursday afternoon.
• Hamburg Blue Devil assistant coach Jeff Reinebold, who also works with the team's administration, is a South Bend native. His father Jim is currently a coach with the Class A South Bend Silver Hawks minor league baseball team after a long career as baseball coach at South Bend Clay High School Ð and his mother Evelyn formerly worked in the housing office at the University of Notre Dame.

Probable defensive starters named

HAMBURG, Germany - Notes and quotes on a chillier-than-normal and gray July day for the Notre Dame alumni football camp in Hamburg:

• When the Irish arrived for practice Thursday (in helmets and shorts only, no pads), they found a hand-made sign draped over fences enclosing the practice field area. It read, "Wieso zeight lhr der WELT nicht das lhr die Blue Devils seit und nicht die Blue Deppen," which translated loosely, said, "Let's show the world we're the Blue Devils, not he Blue Dummies." That's in reference to some recent newspapers headlines describing the recent Blue Devil on-field struggles.
• Injured inside linebacker Dave Butler (he has a broken bone in his foot and won't play Saturday) was invited to lead the team Thursday in 10 jumping jacks. He complied, on one foot.
• Notre Dame officials who attended the Blue Devils' 26-14 loss Saturday to the Munich Cowboys said the noise level amongst fans was intense, even with a crowd of around 6,000. With an expected crowd of 25,000-30,000 for the Notre Dame game, Irish coaches are anticipating a wild scene.
• Irish quarterback Tony Rice is here, even though he can't play due to surgery for a torn Achilles' tendon suffered in the flag football warmup game in April. He's a familiar name to German fans based on his former involvement with the Munich team of the Football League of Europe.
• Likely starters for the Irish on defense are Brian Hamilton, Corey Bennett, Melvin Dansby and Andre Jones up front, Karl McGill at OLB, Wes Pritchett and Jeremy Sample inside - and Ivory Covington, Ty Goode, Brandy Wells and Pat Eilers in the secondary.
• Irish team physician Dr. Pat Leary Thursday donned a helmet and jersey and worked out with the kickers.
• Sponsorship is routine in the German Football League. The Hamburg team jerseys feature logos of Holsten Pilsner (a beer company) and Jaxx.de (an internet company), plus the Ford logo appears prominently on the front of the Blue Devil helmets.
• The Blue Devils normally wear a medium blue jersey for home games, but they will wear white Saturday since Notre Dame is identified best by its home blue jerseys.
• Practice sessions have been spirited but somewhat light in tone. With the number of players from the Lou Holtz era (and with son Skip running the offense) there have been more than a few Lou Holtz imitations heard on the practice fields.
• The Irish family and friends took a two-hour bus trip Thursday for a tour of a Schwerin Castle. Thursday night's agenda featured a reception for the Notre Dame team by the host charity, Kindern Helfen Kindern. The Irish Wednesday night saw the musical Buddy Holly, with songs in English and dialogue in German - following a boat tour of the Hamburg harbor.
• The conservative Hamburgr Abendblatt Thursday featured a color photo of tailback Reggie Brooks. The Wednesday edition of the Hamburg Bild included action shots of Irish players from their college days, with headlines noting their current jobs. So Germans learned about Reggie Brooks, der Computer-Freak, Lee Becton, der Manager and Terry Andrysiak, der Bank-Prasident.

30,000 expected for charity football game in Germany

July 5, 2000

HAMBURG, GERMANY -They didn't complain a bit.. In fact, the Notre Dame football players who hit the practice field Tuesday in the first day of preparation for their Saturday Charity Bowl meeting with the Hamburg Blue Devils seemed to enjoy every moment of their two hours of work on a pleasant, 70-degree afternoon. Remember, there are more than a few members of this Notre Dame alumni football squad who haven't put on pads or helmets for some years. The veterans on the team are 1976 tight end Al Bucci and '71 quarterback Pat Steenberge. Others, like Reggie Brooks and Pat Eilers, aren't long out of the National Football League (in Brooks' case, Barcelona of NFL Europe, as well). Likewise, with Adrian Jarrell and the Arena Football League.

The consensus seemed to that of Darnell Smith as practice commenced Tuesday -"I feel like I've never taken this uniform off." There were a few muscles asked to respond for the first time in a while. Offensive lineman Mike Perrino moved slowly, trying to keep his back in order. Defensive lineman Bryan Flannery suffered a groin injury early in the workout. Meanwhile, Brooks and fellow tailback Lee Becton wasted little time displaying flashes of their 1,000-yard seasons with the Irish. Brooks, in particular, seemed to be in midseason form. Veteran linebacker Wes Pritchett intercepted a pass during the pass skeleton series, spiked the football and showed the same enthusiasm that made him one of the emotional leaders of the '88 Irish national title team.

Remember, too, that some of these Notre Dame players know each other by name only. Quarterback Steve Belles shook hands with center Greg Stec as they began working on quarterback-center exchanges early in the workout.

The appearance of a Notre Dame football squad drew a half-dozen photographers to the workout Tuesday. Helped by exposure in Germany from NBC Sports telecasts of Irish home games, names like Brooks, Becton and Kris Haines (he caught the last-second touchdown pass from Joe Montana in the '79 Cotton Bowl) were more than a little familiar to the hometown journalists. An NFL Films crew appeared Wednesday at practice -and the local Hamburg newspapers Wednesday featured color photos from practice, impressive coverage for a non-soccer event, according to German officials.

Off the field, the Notre Dame group enjoyed a Tuesday evening boat trip through the Hamburg canals, complete with noisemakers and confetti for the Fourth of July. Wednesday night, the team will attend a Buddy Holly musical.

Another interesting perspective comes from the sons of former players like Perrino, Ron Plantz, Pat Kramer and Jack Shields, all of whom attended practice Tuesday. The boys had heard their dads talk about playing football for Notre Dame but obviously had never seen what that rally meant. On Saturday, the sons will watch the fathers put on those gold helmets and blue jerseys one more time -and it's hard to tell who's looking forward to it more.

Blue Devil officials are predicting a crowd of about 30,000 for the game Saturday.

Football squad to play in Charity Bowl 2000 on July 8 in Hamburg, Germany