Last Play

Here's a story that will make you blubber like a little baby. I'm not kidding.

Notre Dame's football coach Charlie Weis visited a very sick 10-year-old boy on his deathbed, and promised the young fan he could call the first play of the upcoming game on Saturday.

The boy, Montana Mazurkiewicz, said to pass right. Montana died on Friday.

Notre Dame's first possession came on a fumble recovery. They were starting at their own 1-yard line.

Surely the boy and his family would understand, right? A mistake at this point would be costly. The Fighting Irish could call a pass on the next possession, when it was safer.

When the Irish started on their own 1-yard-line following a fumble recovery, (Montana's mother Cathy) Mazurkiewicz wasn't sure Notre Dame would be able to throw a pass. Weis was concerned about that, too. So was quarterback Brady Quinn.

"He said what are we going to do?" Weis said. "I said we have no choice. We're throwing it to the right."

Weis called a play where most of the Irish went left, Quinn ran right and looked for tight end Anthony Fasano on the right.

Mazurkiewicz watched with her family.

"I just closed my eyes. I thought, 'There's no way he's going to be able to make that pass. Not from where they're at. He's going to get sacked and Washington's going to get two points,'" she said.

Sorry, you're going to have to read the full story to see how the play turned out.

Anyway, major props out to Weis for having the nads to stick with his promise no matter what. What a great man.