O'Leary leads Notre Dame toward BCS bid
By TIM CASEY
Assistant Sports Editor
Dan O'Leary had just started playing football. He was a young teenager in the early 1990s, a 6-foot-3 180-pound tight end at St. Bernadette's school in Ohio. During those years, he formed many friendships, won a lot of games and created lifelong memories.
Including one of a tall, skinny teammate.
"He used to wear polo socks to practice," O'Leary said. "He just didn't fit in."
Fast forward to Nov. 20, 1999. Notre Dame Stadium. The two classmates were now rivals, O'Leary playing at home, the polo sock-wearing kid dressed in Boston College's white, maroon and gold away uniforms.
Chris Hovan, All-Ralph Lauren had transformed into Chris Hovan, All-American.
Hovan had also changed his football-self into a character from The Program. When O'Leary lined up and looked at the 6-foot-3 290-pound defensive end with the black and white painted face, he laughed.
"I'm just like `nice face, you moron,'" O'Leary said. "It was funny."
The big kid from Ohio's humorous, outgoing personality has remained intact.
But since then, he also earned a degree in sociology and computer applications, been named captain at Notre Dame, and caught the attention of NFL scouts.
On Saturday, the fifth-year senior will raise his gold helmet to the student section for the final time, ending an unexpected career.
"I'm glad he's getting recognition as a senior," coach Bob Davie said. "He certainly deserves it."
Using his talents
Growing up around Irish-Catholics, O'Leary watched Notre Dame on television every Saturday. He dreamed of playing quarterback back. But there was a problem.
O'Leary's parents told their son to `use his talents elsewhere' and described football as `too rough of a sport.'
They finally obliged when all of O'Leary's friends started playing at St. Bernadette's.
"They're probably thanking their lucky stars now," O'Leary said, "[with me] saving them some money for college."
He had always envisioned attending the local public high school but when his athletic talents became obvious, O'Leary enrolled at St. Ignatius, a Jesuit school in Cleveland.
The team would arrive three hours early, watch film and attend mass together before playing in front of sell-out crowds. Every week.
O'Leary lettered three times, was captain as a senior and won four Division 1 state titles. In 1993, when O'Leary was a sophomore, USA Today crowned St. Ignatius as its mythical national champion. He caught 46 passes in each of the next two seasons.
"I was like a Shannon Sharpe-type," O'Leary said. "I got the ball like every other play."
And that became a problem. O'Leary narrowed his choices to Notre Dame and Boston College, a school where the tight end routinely ranked high in receptions. His idol was Pete Mitchell, the Boston College tight end who scorched the Irish in the memorable 1993 game.
Lou Holtz visited in the fall of 1995 (O'Leary still has pictures of the visit in his home) and promised that O'Leary would be an integral part of the offense, that he would be a main target for quarterback Ron Powlus. On his official trip to campus in December, the Irish staff greeted O'Leary with a yellow sign honoring the great tight ends of the present and past including Pete Chryplewicz, Irv Smith, Oscar McBride, Derek Brown, Mark Bavaro, Tony Hunter, Ken MacAfee and Dave Casper.
Also included was "O'Leary 86."
The recruiting hype did not immediately sell the senior tight end.
He waited awhile until he received advice from his parents, older sister Margie, friend Colm Carr and St. Ignatius strength and conditioning coach Marty Uinon.
"They convinced me that even though Notre Dame hasn't been throwing the ball to tight ends in the past, that I could turn that around and make a name for myself," O'Leary said. "That was one of the motivations that I came into Notre Dame with, just getting rid of that image that they don't throw to tight ends. I haven't completely done it so far ..."
Lowered expectations
One week earlier, the Irish improved to 3-0 with a 27-24 victory over No. 6 Texas. But here it was, on the afternoon of Sept. 27, 1996, when O'Leary suffered his first college defeat, a 29-16 decision to Ohio State. By the end of October, they were 4-2 and the laughingstock of college football after a 20-17 loss to Air Force.
Welcome to Notre Dame.
"I was expecting to do the whole thing [win every game] all over again," O'Leary said.
Like most freshmen, O'Leary struggled. He lost games, played on the scout team and tried to find time to study.
Then in November, Holtz resigned.
"I thought he'd be here for the next 10 years," O'Leary said.
O'Leary turned to seniors Chryplewicz, Kevin Carretta, Marc Edwards and tight ends coach Bob Chmiel for advice. He did not see any action as a freshman but O'Leary became the starter the next year. In the second game, he caught a boot pass, ran upfield and lowered his shoulder into a Purdue linebacker.
He separated the shoulder and missed the next six games.
O'Leary never fully recovered that fall. And besides the physical pain, he also suffered emotional pain.
On Christmas Day, 1996, the 7-6 Irish were in Shreveport, La., preparing for the upcoming Independence Bowl game against LSU. While the rest of his family celebrated, O'Leary participated in two-a-days.
"I just wanted to be home with all my friends," O'Leary said. "After the first two years, I wrote down as one of my goals that I wanted to play in a BCS bowl game before I leave."
Respected peer
Davie addressed the team on a July afternoon earlier this summer. A day before, the Irish voted on the captains for the 2000 season. And now Davie read the names: Jabari Holloway, Anthony Denman, Grant Irons.
And Dan O'Leary.
"Right after that we had to run 20 110-yard sprints," O'Leary said. "I was running those things so fast that day. I wasn't winded at all. I was sky high."
Said Davie: "I was hoping it would be that way. He's the perfect combination of what a Notre Dame man is all about."
Five years ago, O'Leary vowed to change the Irish offense.
He has been unsuccessful, as the tight end has eight receptions this year and caught only 13 in 1999.
But he has reached the goal he wrote down before coming to South Bend: to become captain. He acts as a mentor to the underclassmen, including freshman tight end Billy Palmer.
"During two-a-days I had a question and went to him," Palmer said. "Immediately right then, I knew he was the guy to go to. I have nothing but good things to say about him."
And O'Leary feels the same way about the 2000 Irish. Three more wins and one of his other goals will be met.
Yet his mind remains focused on this weekend, when friends — including former Boston College quarterback and St. Ignatius teammate Scott Mutryn — and family will see him play his last game in the Stadium.
As of Tuesday afternoon, O'Leary was not sure whether his parents would be attending this weekend. Margie is expecting her second child.
So if their daughter does not have the baby by Saturday, the O'Leary's will probably stay home as their son suits up in the Blue and Gold.
Regardless, another problem remains.
"I have to get a lot of tickets," O'Leary said. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to pull it off."
At least one friend will be unable to visit.
Hovan will be in Minnesota.
The Vikings defensive end has a game on Sunday.
All Sports Stories for Friday, November 10, 2000
