Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis Lets Dying Boy Call Play
Notre Dame fans were likely scratching their heads when coach Charlie Weis called an improbable play on their opening drive against Washington Saturday. It turns out that Weis didn’t call it at all.
Weis grants little boy’s dying wish (AP – ESPN)
Charlie Weis doesn’t usually let anyone else call plays on offense. He made an exception for 10-year-old Montana Mazurkiewicz. The Notre Dame coach met last week with Montana, who had been told by doctors weeks earlier that there was nothing more they could do to stop the spread of his inoperable brain tumor. “He was a big Notre Dame fan in general, but football especially,” said his mother, Cathy Mazurkiewicz.
[…]
Weis asked Montana if there was something he could do for him. He agreed to let Montana call the first play against Washington on Saturday. He called “pass right.”
Montana never got to see the play. He died Friday at his home. Weis heard about the death and called Mazurkiewicz on Friday night to assure her he would still call Montana’s play. “He said, ‘This game is for Montana, and the play still stands,'” she said.
Weis said he told the team about the visit. He said it wasn’t a “Win one for the Gipper” speech, because he doesn’t believe in using individuals as inspiration. He just wanted the team to know people like Montana are out there. “That they represent a lot of people that they don’t even realize they’re representing,” Weis said.
When the Irish started on their own 1-yard-line following a fumble recovery, Mazurkiewicz wasn’t sure Notre Dame would be able to throw a pass. Weis was concerned about that, too. So was quarterback Brady Quinn. “He said ‘What are we going to do?'” Weis said. “I said ‘We have no choice. We’re throwing it to the right.'” Weis called a play where most of the Irish went left, Quinn ran right and looked for tight end Anthony Fasano on the right.
Mazurkiewicz watched with her family. “I just closed my eyes. I thought, ‘There’s no way he’s going to be able to make that pass. Not from where they’re at. He’s going to get sacked and Washington’s going to get two points,'” she said.
Fasano caught the pass and leapt over a defender for a 13-yard gain. “It’s almost like Montana was willing him to beat that defender and take it to the house,” Weis said. Mazurkiewicz was happy. “It was an amazing play. Montana would have been very pleased. I was very pleased,” she said. “I was just so overwhelmed. I couldn’t watch much more.”
Weis called her again after the game, a 36-17 victory by the 13th-ranked Fighting Irish, and said he had a game ball signed by the team that he wanted to bring to the family on Sunday. “He’s a very neat man. Very compassionate,” she said. “I just thanked him for using that play, no matter the circumstances.”
A touching story.
Weis is right: Sports has a hold on people far beyond the mere entertainment value it provides.
Who needs hollywood to create tear jerkers. How do I dry up the keyboard after this one?
When Weis went to ND it made me reconsider my hope that ND lose every game until the end of time. This almost makes me want them to go .500.
Like Knute Rockne, I was born a Lutheran. Unlike Rockne, I have no connection with ND. But I don’t believe in coincidences, and would not want to be betting against the Irish this year.
This great story proves Weis has character. The ND Administration must be very proud of him.
Notre Dame is an institution that is special. This is just another example of the “echos” of Notre Dame. No one would expect anything less from them. GO IRISH!!!!