30 for 30 Short: Student/Athlete: Reggie Ho

[#1rish]

30 for 30 Shorts: Student/Athlete «

Reggie Ho never dreamed of playing football in college. Growing up in Hawaii and of Chinese descent, he always imagined he’d be a doctor like his father. He enrolled at Notre Dame as a premed student and didn’t think much of playing football until he decided he needed a more well-rounded life. He was the placekicker on his high school football team and decided to walk on to Notre Dame’s. At 5-foot-5 and 135 pounds, Ho was one of the smallest players in a major college football program — and suddenly became a celebrity on and off campus. As a walk-on, Ho didn’t receive any financial support from his school: a pure student-athlete. He did it for the love of the game and for the love of Notre Dame. After the 1988 season, the walk-on walked off the field. Ho continued his premed degree, but no longer played football. Yet he was a crucial part in Notre Dame’s only undefeated season.

 

[wizards8507]

I had never heard this story before. The original RKG.

 

[#1rish]

Amazing short documentary on him. Really shows what a true Notre Dame student/athlete is.

Loved how he knocked one through at the end there.

 

[ACamp1900]

Yet he was a crucial part in Notre Dame’s only undefeated season.

dafaq?? The other like, what, ten or so, suddenly don't exist??

 

[ND NYC]

Ho! Ho! Ho!

love his story

 

[koonja]

I had never heard this story before. The original RKG.

Too soon!

 

[bkess8]

Sorry to double my post but wanted to share in 2 threads.

Thank you for the share! Always love to learn more about the past history of ND and those unsung individuals that also put in the hard work and dedication to the TEAM.
As a father I thought the letter reading by the son in the end was the most important part of this video. It makes you feel great inside when other people tell your children the great things that you do, especially when you are a reliable and focused individual.

 

[ulukinatme]

Awesome

 

[IrishinSyria]

30 for 30 shorts: Reggie Ho

30 for 30 shorts: Reggie Ho

30 for 30 Shorts: Student/Athlete «

Really really great story. I took two things away from this:

1. This is why I root for Notre Dame. It consistently produces football players who are more than just football players. Holtz telling his guys after they won the National Championship that it was not the most important thing they would do with their lives stood out as particularly admirable.

2. It emphasized the importance of luck. The Michigan game saved that season, and propelled Ho to fame. However, that was the high point of his season. They flash his stat line real quickly and he was 9/13 of FG attempts at one point in the season (maybe the end). Take out the 4/4 from the Michigan game, and he was only slightly above .500 on the season. No matter how good a team is, the margin of error in CFB is so slim and the sample size on which teams are judged is so small that luck will always be the difference between the teams that are remembered as great and those that are merely good. If Reggie Ho had gone 3 for 4 against Michigan, Holtz would not be the ND legend he is.

There's also an element of luck in that the year ND didn't have a scholarship kicker available, they happened to have this hyper-focused walk-on who saved their season.

 

[IrishinSyria]

end of work day bump. Can't emphasize enough how well done and well worth watching this is.

 

[ulukinatme]

They beat ya to it:
http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/not...72-30-30-short-student-athlete-reggie-ho.html

 

[IrishinSyria]

They beat ya to it:
http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/not...72-30-30-short-student-athlete-reggie-ho.html

My bad... I swear I searched before I posted

 

[Circa]

This may have just made my day.

 

[GoldenDomer]

Watched it, awesome. Early front runner for feel good story of 2015.

 

[scUM Hater]

This was great . I will admit that I wiped a tear or two. I was 11 years old when they won it all. Still great memory. Remember being at my neighbors for the bowl game. Much excitement, took it for granted that ND would always dominate. I just hope ND can win championship so my son and I can celebrate a championship together someday.

 

[ulukinatme]

This was great . I will admit that I wiped a tear or two. I was 11 years old when they won it all. Still great memory. Remember being at my neighbors for the bowl game. Much excitement, took it for granted that ND would always dominate. I just hope ND can win championship so my son and I can celebrate a championship together someday.

I was just thinking about this the other day. Next year could be a decent year for us, and my oldest turns 5. I was 6 when we last won the national championship and don't remember any of it. It would be awesome and yet somewhat horrible if we happen to win in the next few years and don't make it back to the championship for another 25+ years again...ugh.

 

[scUM Hater]

I was just thinking about this the other day. Next year could be a decent year for us, and my oldest turns 5. I was 6 when we last won the national championship and don't remember any of it. It would be awesome and yet somewhat horrible if we happen to win in the next few years and don't make it back to the championship for another 25+ years again...ugh.

My son is 15. He is a huge ND fan. (He wouldn't be my son otherwise). He has caught Irish fever the last couple years and I couldn't be prouder. Been to many games together. I think the best was in Indy this year. We met some old buddies of mine in Indy, tailgated, stayed in hotel and had a great father/son weekend together. A memory I will never forget. We brushed shoulders with Hines Ward and Doug Flutie. He got an autograph from Sergio Brown. I also told the leprechaun that he was too tall to play the part. My son was pretty adamant to some fans sitting around us that they were being pretty quiet during the game. There is nothing quite like ND Football to bring family and friends together.