Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is only 43 days away

To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.

This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football. 

Today, with 43 days remaining until kickoff, we look at the remarkable life of Rod West, who wore the No. 43 jersey as a tight end/linebacker at Notre Dame from 1987-89.

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Where to begin

With no career receptions and five total yards from scrimmage during his Notre Dame football career, West didn’t leave any lasting impression as an Irish player. 

Though, he did score one rushing touchdown from his tight end position. 

Injuries hampered West’s career as an athlete, but never impeded his accomplishments as a student.

The year was 2005 and West was director of electric distribution operations for Entergy New Orleans. 

Hurricane Katrina had devastated electric grids throughout southern Louisiana, and West was tasked with restoring power and calming nerves.

A resident of New Orleans and a native of Baton Rouge, La., West delivered a message of hope and faith to the frightened locals and a concerned group of employees that the lights would come back on.

The lights did come back on, sooner than expected. And West’s tireless work to illuminate ‘em eventually made him the company’s CEO. 

West later explained that getting all to believe in his leadership during uncertain times brought him back to his playing days.

West, now 54, lettered three years at Notre Dame as a reserve linebacker and tight end, and played on the 1988 national championship team. 

“You know that place you go when the monkey’s on your back, when your legs are rubber, when it’s the fourth quarter or two-a-days,” West said in 2012 for a “Strong of Heart” story from Fighting Irish Media. “Whatever cliché you have for when you want to quit, that’s the well I had to live in for months after Katrina.”

Talented “Strong of Heart” story author Brendan O’Shaughnessy titled his feature about West, “The Man Who Saved New Orleans.”

Welcome to Notre Dame

Ready and set to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point after high school, West on a whim agreed to let newly-hired Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz come to New Orleans for a home visit. 

“Coach Holtz said I would get a world-class education and I had a choice,” West recalled. “I could come to Notre Dame and become part of the turnaround of the country’s most-storied football program. Or, I could watch it on TV and regret it for the rest of my life.”

The message held. 

West took a subsequent visit to Notre Dame, committed to Holtz, and made his “Four-for-40” investment pay off handsomely.

Post-Notre Dame:

*West graduated from Tulane Law School, where he considered a career in corporate and/or sports law. 

*In 1996, West became the first black and youngest-ever president of the Notre Dame Alumni Association. 

*In 2021, West became one of 13 voting members on the College Football Playoff Committee. 

*West is also a previous president of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and a former board member of the National Football Foundation … with too many other endeavors to list. All while serving as president and CEO of a Fortune 500 energy company. 

“Coach Holtz told his first recruiting class that we were the worst in Notre Dame history, but we were like [Saint] Peter,” West shared. “He said we were the rock on which to build a return to prominence. And we were 24-1 in my last two years. Lou honored his promise.”

In the same way West honored his promise to Louisianans 17 years ago.