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30 for 30 Shorts: Student/Athlete

Our latest film, from actor Ken Jeong, tells the story of how a 5-foot-5 premed student played a crucial role in Notre Dame’s undefeated football season

Welcome back to our 30 for 30 documentary short series.

Reggie Ho never dreamed of playing football in college. Growing up in Hawaii and of Chinese descent, he always imagined he’d be a doctor like his father. He enrolled at Notre Dame as a premed student and didn’t think much of playing football until he decided he needed a more well-rounded life. He was the placekicker on his high school football team and decided to walk on to Notre Dame’s. At 5-foot-5 and 135 pounds, Ho was one of the smallest players in a major college football program — and suddenly became a celebrity on and off campus. As a walk-on, Ho didn’t receive any financial support from his school: a pure student-athlete. He did it for the love of the game and for the love of Notre Dame. After the 1988 season, the walk-on walked off the field. Ho continued his premed degree, but no longer played football. Yet he was a crucial part in Notre Dame’s most recent undefeated season.

Recent 30 for 30 Shorts

Robbed, directed by Eric Drath »
Our Tough Guy, directed by Molly Schiot »
The Great Trade Robbery, directed by Stuart Zicherman »
Fields of Fear, directed by Alex Gibney »
Kid Danny, directed by Andrew Cohn »
The High Five, directed by Michael Jacobs »

 

This post has been updated to correct an error: Ho’s season was not Notre Dame football’s only undefeated one, just the most recent.

Filed Under: 30 For 30, 30 for 30 Shorts, Reginald Ho, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Notre Dame, College Football, ken jeong