June 25, 2007

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Notre Dame Monogram Club's fifth annual Football Fantasy Camp will take place in two separate sessions over the next week as 89 participants are set for an authentic Irish football experience. The opening session will run from Wednesday, June 27 through Sunday, July 1, while the second session will start July 1 and run through Thursday, July 5, both on the Notre Dame campus.

For the fourth consecutive year, the camp - organized by former Irish quarterback Pat Steenberge - sold out far in advance. Enough so, that a second session was added for the first time. Of the 89 participants, 38 have taken part in the fantasy camp in the past.

Camp participants will take a tour of campus during their initial afternoon of camp and will kick things off with a reception in the Joyce Center that evening (June 27 for session I and July 1 for session II). It will include a welcome from Monogram Club executive director Jim Fraleigh and the first in a series of special speakers that includes former Irish players, current and former coaches, and several other Notre Dame and college football personalities to address the camp.

The players will head to the locker room in Notre Dame Stadium early on their second day to dress and have meetings before taking part in the first of the day's two 75-minute practice sessions on the team's practice fields. In the evening, participants will then travel to the College Football Hall of Fame for a tour and tailgate dinner. Day 3 will be a similar day, with practices both in the morning and afternoon with dinner and more guest speakers in the evening.

On the fourth day of each session (Saturday, June 30 and Wednesday, July 4) - Game Day - the participants will have meetings with their coaches in the morning before attending mass celebrated by Monogram Club executive director emeritus Rev. Jim Riehle, C.S.C., at The Grotto. They will then return to Notre Dame Stadium, go through pre-game warm-ups on the field and - after some final preparations in the locker room - touch the "Play Like a Champion" sign and run onto the field through a tunnel of friends and family for the fifth annual Blue-Gold Fantasy Game, a flag football affair which kicks off at 1:35 p.m. each day and features many of the accouterments of an Irish home game (including live public-address announcing, game officials, and players names on the scoreboard). The post-game will feature media interviews and an autograph session before a reception and dinner in the stadium's press box.

Each camp winds up with an awards brunch with each participant receiving a tape of the fantasy game, a team photo and a Notre Dame helmet as mementos of the experience.

Proceeds from the camp go to the Notre Dame Monogram Club for its various projects, which include providing many services to current student-athletes, scholarship assistance to children of club members, plus funding the visual enhancement project involving banner and themed gate additions to Notre Dame Stadium.

For more information on the Monogram Club, see www.ndmonogramclub.com. For more information on the Football Fantasy Camp, check www.globalfootball.com and www.ndfootballfantasycamp.com.

Camp Staff Irish head coach Charlie Weis has committed all of his coaching staff to work the camps, further bringing the participants into the Irish football family as never before possible. They will divide into two groups in order to cover both camp sessions, with focus on the four practice sessions and game.

In his letter to each camp member Coach Weis noted, "I will personally speak with each group and share some of my thoughts about the upcoming season. Also, our assistant coaches will be working with you on the practice field and in Notre Dame Stadium, teaching you the same style of Fighting Irish football they work on with our varsity players."

The coaches who will be working the camp include: Michael Haywood, John Latina, Ron Powlus, Bernie Parmalee, Rob Ianello, Corwin Brown, Bill Lewis, Brian Polian and Jappy Oliver. In addition, the graduate assistants and staff interns will help with both session: Shane Waldron, Kevin Loney, Patrick Graham and LeRoy Knight.

Recruiting coordinator Dave Peloquin will provide an overview of the recruiting process that is such a key element of Notre Dame's future success, and a stellar cast of former star players is also lining up to assist with coaching and to relate their personal stories during the social hours. Some of these scheduled to appear include: Mike McCoy, Kris Haines, Reggie Brooks, Bob Gladieux, Mirko Jurkovic, Greg Marx, Walt Patulski, Frank Stams and Robin Weber.

Camp Participants The two sessions of camp feature three fifth-year seniors (fifth-year participants), 11 seniors (four-year participants), 12 juniors (third year), 11 sophomores (second year) and 52 freshmen (first year). The participants range in age from 22 to 74, with an average age of 47. They hail from 26 states and two foreign countries (Canada and Denmark). The three fifth-year seniors have participated in all five Football Fantasy Camps. This year features an all-time high of five different father-son combinations: the Bagattas, Dedarios, Fauts, Eckharts and Monaghans. See below the full list:

2007 Notre Dame Football Fantasy Camp Session I
FRESHMEN
John "Jack" Anderson, age 50  Orlando, FL
Bob Brennan, age 44           Odessa, FL
Chris Cromer, age 35          Rome, GA
Gene Faut, Jr., age 41        Roselle, IL
Gene Faut, Sr., age 65        Tower Lakes, IL
Dan Heatherson, Sr., age 60   Granger, IN
Joseph LaBella, age 50        Merritt Island, FL
Mark Lang, age 48             Omaha, NE
Michael Lescanic, age 56      State College, PA
David Libs, age 66            Buchanan, MI
Scott Litwiller, age 44       Tulsa, OK
Brad Minnick, age 32          West Salem, WI
Patrick Neary, age 46         Alexandria, VA
John O'Neill, age 39          Toronto, Canada
Terry Philbin, age 39         Columbus, OH
Brian Pieroni, age 40         Chesapeake, VA
Robert Pourvali, age 39       Westlake Village, CA
Frank Russo, age 53           St. Petersburg, FL
SOPHOMORES
Matt Edmonds, age 47          Granger, IN
John Fitzmartin, age 59       Warsaw, IN
Jim Fontana, age 48           Aliquippa, PA
Tony Frogameni, age 48        Sylvania, OH
Timothy Kopp, age 61          Wrightsville, PA
Grant Morehead, age 35        Hoschton, GA
Dan Rodden, age 53            Buffalo, IL
JUNIORS
Chris Alley, age 42           Tazewell, VA
Frank Bagatta, Jr., age 22    Smithtown, NY
Mike Brennan, age 37          Ocala, FL
Joe Colgan, age 49            Chicago, IL
Jim Dedario, age 43           Phoenix, AZ
John Harris, age 37           Holmdel, NJ
Dan Kindelt, age 61           Woodlawn, CA
Ned Lesnick, age 64           Portland, OR
Dick Morehead, age 60         Jacksonville, FL
Chris Secreto, age 46         Kirkland, WA
Mark Smith, age 47            Cleveland, TN
SENIORS
James Barry, age 27           Chicago, IL
Frank Bagatta, Sr., age 54    Smithtown, NY
Keith Cross, age 34           Holden, MA
Joe Dedario, age 65           Phoenix, AZ
Michael Haveard, age 45       Pensacola, FL
Ron Henry, age 47             Miami, FL
Bart McGloin, age 42          Wheatfield, NY
Terrence Novak, age 51        Vacaville, CA
Jeff Pace, age 52             Dallas, PA
Rick Peltz, age 38            Indianapolis, IN
Bob Wiley, age 55             Copenhagen, Denmark
5th Year SENIORS
Robert Haberkorn, age 46      Cape Grardem, MO
Bob Johnson, age 44           Lititz, PA
John Thomas, age 58           Dallas, PA
2007 Notre Dame Football Fantasy Camp Session II
FRESHMEN
Mark Aiello, age 44           Rochester Hills, MI
Phil Albanito, age 57         Randolph, NJ
John Bollman, age 50          St. Joseph, MI
Tom Britz, age 66             Palm Springs, CA
Steve Cassidy, age 42         San Rafael, CA
Joe Coltelli, age 47          Fredon, NJ
John Courtney, age 74         San Mateo, CA
Ronald Crisafulli, age 56     Newton, NJ
Charles Eckhart, age 24       Indianapolis, IN
Thomas Eckhart, age 48        Indianapolis, IN
Roger Elliott, age 50         Tippecanoe, IN
Ken Femiano, age 45           Northport, NY
Steven Filbert, age 58        South Bend, IN
Todd Gabriel, age 38          Eagle, ID
Keith Hauge, age 68           Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Michael Kane, age 37          Ocean View, NJ
Mark Krivoruchka, age 52      Newton, IA
Gil Kuta, age 48              Baltimore, MD
Joe Laughlin, age 39          San Rafael, CA
Dean Mandis, age 39           Granger, IN
Gary McGlinn, age 49          Philadelphia, PA
Sean McGuinn, age 38          Petaluma, CA
T.J. McGuire, age 37          Hatboro, PA
Colin Monaghan, age 24        Uniontown, PA
Gary Monaghan, age 53         Uniontown, PA
Bill Morrisroe, age 62        Sacramento, CA
Ken Myers, age 40             Agoura Hills, CA
Ken Neeld, age 40             Gambrills, MD
Brian Salerno, age 37         Grand Rapids, MI
Anthony Sarro, age 47         Winston Salem, NC
Shaun Takkinen, age 42        Hungtington Beach, CA
Michael Tomc, age 53          Athens, OH
Eric Turzak, age 36           Bloomfield, NJ
Michael Whelan, age 46        Evansville, IN
SOPHOMORES
Joe Hession, age 52           Carmel, IN
Larry Leamy, age 70           Marshall, MI
Michael O'Donnell, age 67     San Juan Capistrano, CA
Patrick Stanley, age 57       Wichita, KS
JUNIORS
Richard Bell, age 54          Greenwich, CT