"I covered sports for the Observer when Coach Willingham was named coach. I remember it was New Year's Eve, and there was a nasty storm, and I got a call. My boss said, 'There's going to be a press conference. Get your camera and head over.' Let's just say it killed my New Year's plans. The whole campus was on lockdown in preparation for the press conference. I had to ask security to let me into the dining hall to grab my camera. That press conference was Notre Dame's way of jamming themselves into the headlines along with all the teams who had just played in bowl games."