In September 2005, Notre Dame traveled to Seattle for a game against the Washington Huskies. On the first Irish possession, the ball rest inside the team’s own one-yard line. In a surprising move, head coach Charlie Weis (‘78) called for a play-action pass. Quarterback Brady Quinn (’07) rolled out and found tight end Anthony Fasano (’06), who caught the pass and hurdled over a defender to pick up a first down.

After the game, people learned Weis’s reasoning for the decision. Earlier in the week, the first-year head coach met with Montana Mazurkiewicz, a young Irish fan who had an inoperable brain tumor. Towards the end of their visit, Weis invited Mazurkiewicz to call a play. The 10-year old asked Weis to pass to the right on the first offensive play. On the day before the game, the Irish coach learned that Mazurkiewicz had passed away. In keeping with his promise, Weis directed the offense to pass, despite being so deep in their own territory. In this video, former Irish receiver David Grimes (’09) looks back on the play and what it meant to the team.