Highlights from the second half of this season's ABC57 Saturday Kickoff

 

As Notre Dame prepares for their final scheduled game of the season, we're taking a look back at the second half of the ABC57 Saturday Kickoff season.

Saturday Kickoff took you behind the scenes of the iconic film Rudy.

"I don't even know how to describe it. There is an atmosphere, a peace, kind of a calming aspect, an energy to that campus that I had ever experienced before," writer Angelo Pizzo said.

"Our movie was in the 'God loop.' Usually in a movie, everything goes wrong for you. This movie was the most fun I have ever had making anything, TV, movies, it was a joy," director David Anspaugh said.

Everything played out to perfection, a storybook ending.

"I saw the potential because it was about every man and every woman," Anspaugh said.

We've taken steps back in time and found some seriously great 'old' photos from Brian Kelly's high school year book pic to Paqui's coaching days.

We've dug up Notre Dame yearbook photos, too from University President Father John Jenkins and Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick.

And there have been many special guests, including Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Irish Legends Wes Pritchett, Super Bowl Champ Mark Edwards and brothers Bob and Mike Golic.

We also love bringing music into Saturday Kickoff. From the Kid of Pop to the game day DJ Hot Rod and video board guru Mike Bonner at Notre Dame Stadium.

Even Rock-N-Roll Hall of Famers Chicago performed live on our show. The band has a unique connection to Notre Dame through their manager, Peter Schivarelli.

Schivarelli was just a kid from Chicago with the dream of playing Football at Notre Dame.

"It was all due to Ara. It was all due to him. But that was the thing that any success that I've had any place was due to that background," Schivarelli said.

50 years, 30 albums, 5 Grammys, and the band is still going strong.

"We love Peter. We love his tenacity, we love his belief in Chicago and his love for the music.  There's nobody like him, said Robert Lamm, founding member of Chicago.

It's the band's love for him that brought them to Notre Dame.

 “You have certain things you can do with your life, directions you can go it. And he chose a direction that he probably would have never even thought of by himself. He had the want to go to Notre Dame and once he got here, that's when Ara took him under his wing. That's when he chose to go the way he went and everything. He owes his life to Notre Dame," Lee Loughnane said,

We've also shared some special stories on the people who make Notre Dame what it is, like Leprechaun Charlie.

This 5 year old is the newest member of the Fighting Irish Fight For Life program which pairs children battling cancer with Notre Dame teams.

Charlie is battling leukemia.

The time he spends with his Irish teammates helps him continue his fight.

It's stunning to me, you see people that you see on the sports news who are willing to give of their own time. I think it speaks volumes of the Notre Dame community and how fortunate we are to be a part of it," Charlie's dad Tom Meyers said.