Every once in a while there is a feel-good story that comes out in college football. Today was one of those days.

Chris Salvi is a walk-on player at Notre Dame and was a leader of the special teams. Today, Chris was awarded a scholarship for his final season with the Irish. The best part of the story is Chris did it the hard way and earned it with his play.

Last year because of his hard work, excellent play and the amount of respect both the coaches and his teammates have for him, he was named a game captain for the Navy game. With that honor came the opportunity to address the student body at the Friday night pep rally in which he did a stellar job.

Salvi did not enroll at Notre Dame out of high school. He originally went to Division II Butler University in Indianapolis to play his college football. After one season he decided that he wanted to try and compete with the best and transferred to Notre Dame. Both his father and brother were Notre Dame Law School graduates so he had been an Irish fan for years.

When he arrived at Notre Dame there were no promises. He had to try out with other potential walk-on candidates just to have the opportunity to practice. When he completed that task he showed the coaches on former coach Charlie Weis’ staff that he was indeed a player. With a new staff coming in in 2010 he had to prove himself all over again, which he did, and got some playing time on both special teams and as a safety in that season. He followed that up with his outstanding play on special teams in 2011.

What makes this post special for me to write is that I have known the Salvi family for years and I can’t tell you how proud they are of their son. To go from walk-on to game captain to earning a scholarship is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Chris Salvi. Congrats!