Professor Emeritus Mike Steele shares Notre Dame’s Journey with Pacific Students
It’s not hard to decipher that Dr. Mike Steele is a fan of Notre Dame football.
Just look at his office: Shelves filled with books about the Notre Dame, pictures posted of the school and its football team; even blue and gold lanyards hang about.
As an alumnus of the school and a long-time fan of the Fighting Irish football team, Steele has always felt connected to Notre Dame. “It’s been a big part of my life for 60 years,” he recalls. “And here we are in 2023, I’m still at it.” Steele’s enthusiasm for the school and its team is easily reciprocated through his works featuring Notre Dame’s historical journey to fame in the world of football.
On October 14, Pacific students will have the opportunity to share in this enthusiasm for Notre Dame. Steele will hold a book signing for his second edition of Miracle Moments in Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football History. The first edition, which was originally published in 2018, highlights some of the team’s most influential coaches, players, seasons, and other aspects of their playing history.
As one of the earliest college football teams, Notre Dame has long held the attention and imagination for sport fans, including multiple national titles and Heisman winners, as well as the legendary Knute Rockne era, and a favorite for newspaper writers and sport broadcasters.
The updated second edition highlights the main events of the five seasons since the first edition’s release. Steele refers to several of these events as “miracle moments.” Steele explains that the inspiration for this powerful description stems from the Notre Dame football team’s “commitment to excellence and leading a life that makes good contributions to humanity.”
Steele notes that while he normally isn’t quick to believe in miracles, the level of dedication and dignity that he’s witnessed from the Fighting Irish has proven itself to be a miracle in itself.
Dr. Mike Steele suggests that a great deal of his inspiration to write about Notre Dame football originates from his time as a student at the school. “It was a profound experience for me,” he shares. “I like the fact that it makes demands of people.” Steele praised the school for the way it challenges its students to be at their best, both academically and in athletics.
This weekend, Steele hopes that Pacific students will not only be able to learn more about Notre Dame’s legendary football team but also come to respect the exemplary atmosphere that the school has built for its students. “I would like them to have an appreciation of the excellence that Notre Dame represents,” Steele declares. “It takes football very seriously but it takes academics very, very seriously.” — Grace Holmes
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