Staten Island Advance

Mega fans

Rich Ryan (left) and his son Michael flank former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown on a visit to Notre Dame.

The elder Ryan is an original member of the Notre Dame Club of Staten Island, which was established in 1991.

The 66-year-old Ryan, a mega fan and alum, showed off his esteemed collection of school memorabilia at his Westerleigh home ahead of Saturday's key football showdown between the No. 3 Fighting Irish and No. 13 Syracuse at Yankee Stadium.

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The coach

Ryan, pictured in autographed photo with ND coach Brian Kelly, says his love for the school transcends football.

"It's the school I always wanted to go to," he said. "If it's Notre Dame, I'm watching it...women's basketball, lacrosse, soccer."

Ryan was one of just a dozen members involved in the Notre Dame Club of SI's inception, which now hosts over 150 members.

But, the club goes beyond sports.

They initiated the Bread of Life Drive, which has delivered over one million items since it started 27 years ago.

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Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger

Yankee Stadium

You don't typically associate Yankee Stadium with football, but this photo of goal posts near where home plate normally resides will have you rethinking that.

The photo was taken prior to the first football game at the new Yankee Stadium between ND and Army in 2010.

Ryan normally treks 12 hours to Notre Dame at least once a season to visit his alma mater on game day, though I'm sure he'll appreciate the short drive to the Bronx on Saturday.

"I have not missed a game [on TV] in like 40 years!" said Ryan. "I've gone to weddings with a transistor radio in my pocket.

"My son embraces it, I try to get my daughter to go...my wife's incredibly patient, she's a fan," added Ryan.

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The family

"When you go to Notre Dame, you become part of the family," said Ryan. "We worry about others and try to give back."

The club performs coat and toy drives during the holiday season as part of its communal effort to give back.

But, don't let his charitable efforts fool you -- he's still a die-hard fan at heart.

"During football season we're all nuts," admitted Ryan. "But the rest of the year is months of planning [charitable works]."

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ND time

"It's always Notre Dame time," said Ryan. "It's really important for me to be there [on Saturday]."

Ryan was also in attendance for the original "Rudy" game, which the famed 1993 movie was based off.

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Staten Island Advance

Subway alum

Bob Griswold, a club member and former club president, graduated ND in 1974.

"We have people with a lot of passion for helping other people," said Griswold of the club.

But, Griswold's passion for his school equates to that of his charitable works.

His father, Robert, a "subway alum" as ND fans commonly call them, would take the train from upstate NY all the way down to South Bend, Indiana for football games.

"I applied to one school," said Griswold.

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Then and now

Notre Dame played at the original Yankee Stadium way back in the 1920s, when they would square off against Army in one of the most anticipated games of the college season.

"It was a game the whole country looked forward to," said Griswold, a true ND historian.

As for Saturday, Griswold recognizes the importance of ND coming to NY.

"It's a feeling, it's different, it means so much to New Yorkers," he said.

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Full circle

Notre Dame boasts the oldest college marching band in the country, founded in 1845.

For Bob Griswold, his train ride up to the Stadium on Saturday will revive some fond memories.

Griswold recalls the 13-hour train rides he would take with his late father from upstate NY to Indiana.

"The one common denominator is that feeling of great anticipation to watch the Fighting Irish play," he exclaimed. "That feeling in my gut leaving upstate is the same on the 4 train."

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Staten Island Advance

Heisman

An autographed jersey signed by 1953 Heisman winner Johnny Lattner.

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1988

This 1988 jersey is signed by Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, Chris Zorich, Tony Rice, and Michael Stonebreaker -- The Irish won the National Championship that season.

A win over No. 13 Syracuse on Saturday would go a long way toward bolstering ND's championship aspirations in 2018.

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