Notre Dame's Roger Valdiserri receives Jesse Harper Award

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- For nearly 30 years Roger Valdiserri was the gatekeeper of information for the Notre Dame football and basketball programs. He received the Jesse Harper Award at the Monogram Club of Notre Dame Tuesday evening.

Throughout his tenure Valdiserri became one of the most well-known and respected sports information directors not just in collegiate athletics in the world.

Valdiserri began his career as the public relations director at for the Irish in 1966, working for up and coming Coach Ara Parseghian. They would become life -long friends.

Valdiserri worked as the liaison for Notre Dame and the media for football National Championships in 1966, 1972 and 1977 as well as the men's basketball team's upset of number-1 UCLA- snapping John Wooden's 88-game winning streak.

Later in his career, he was promoted to associate athletic director- and a Heisman trophy winner in Tim Brown and another national title under Lou Holtz would come.

Valdiserri's list of credentials are incredible and this is just a dent into his career.

Among several national awards and Hall of Fames, he also worked 22 straight Final Fours, and three Olympic games- in LA, Barcelona and Atlanta and the World Cup in Chicago.

Valdiserri was also recognized at half-time of Tuesday night's men's basketball game.