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<h1 class="" style="border-width: 0px; width: auto; font-size: 40px; text-align: center;">How It Started</h1>
<h4 class="" style="border-width: 0px; width: auto; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">A Family Rivalry and a National Title Loss Started It All</h4>
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<p class=""><img class="alignleft wp-image-218 size-thumbnail" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jwood-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>
<p class="">I'm a first-generation fan, my father and my grandfather are from Alabama, and he moved to South Bend. I grew up in a household in South Bend, where Alabama football was the thing, and I started watching Notre <span style="font-size: revert; color: initial;">Dame on TV around 1984, so I've been through some ups and downs. Those gold helmets, that golden standard, are what drew me in. I started paying more attention around 1986 when Notre Dame traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, and they played the Tide and got destroyed. So my grandpa, being a Bama Fan, was almost like my father, and I was close to him, so he would always rub it in. He lived in South Bend and was a fish out of the water.</span></p>
<p class="">Then the following year, in 1987, when the Tide came to Notre Dame Stadium, we dismantled them! That's the year of Jimmy Brown and the last Heisman. So I had bragging rights for a long time over my grandpa. My grandpa retired in 1996 and moved back to Alabama. Shortly after, he had a massive stroke, and we got worried we wouldn't have much time with him, so my family and I packed up and moved to Bama. My grandpa passed in 2005. In 2012 Notre Dame started that miraculous run we all saw and couldn't believe, but it happened, so the 2012 National Championship against the Tide in Miami Gardens, FL, means a lot to me. I know Notre Dame got destroyed 42-14, but I had waited for that game for 25 years. So from his heavenly grave, my grandpa will always have eternal bragging rights against me, much like in South Bend. Now I'm looking forward to a victory over Bama.</p>
<p class="">Going forward into the future with my Notre Dame fandom and how I became a fan of the Irish, it's family, and it's a family rivalry that I had with my grandpa. When we lost to the Tide in 2012, living here in Alabama, Tide fans would constantly shove it down your throat. So it was day after day after day of embarrassment. So how I coped was simple: I dug into Notre Dame's history, giving me a sense of pride unlike anything else. So I searched for a whole year. I knew there was something I needed to do for a year that would get me back to a point where I had confidence and pride in my team. As I learned the history of Notre Dame football, I decided I needed to share it. Living in the South, I needed an outlet. I needed a connection to the old fans. I didn't want to leave but did, and I did it for family reasons.</p>
<p class="">So I created a public and private community on Facebook in February 2014, and I had to name it. So I started going back in my memory and thinking about the past. I always came back to 1986 when this rivalry with my grandpa began, and that was at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, and that's how the name "Legion of the Leprechaun" spawned, and a new Notre Dame family community was born.</p>

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<h2 class="" style="text-align: center;">Team Legion</h2>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center; border-style: none;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-325 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Chad-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">Chad michen</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">owner &amp; ceo</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Chad was brought into the Legion community by Founder Jason M. Wood to help with content creation in 2016, and is the owner and CEO of the community.</p>
<p class="bg-social-icons inherit" style="text-align: center; font-size: 25px;">&nbsp;<a style="margin: 0 5px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/653464921387060/user/1559817645"><i class="fa fa-facebook-square" aria-hidden="true"><span style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></i></a>&nbsp;</p>

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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-329 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Dan-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">Dan Sanchez</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">lead Moderator</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Dan joined the community in 2021 and moved from California to South Bend in 2022 and is now the lead moderator of the members-only community.</p>
<p class="bg-social-icons inherit" style="text-align: center; font-size: 25px;">&nbsp;<a style="margin: 0 5px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/653464921387060/user/100000505721985"><i class="fa fa-facebook-square" aria-hidden="true"><span style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></i></a>&nbsp;</p>

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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-330 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Laurie-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">Laurie leach</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">lead events</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Laurie came on board in 2015 and dedicates most of her free time to the community. She is Legion's lead event planner, and loves bringing members together.</p>
<p class="bg-social-icons inherit" style="text-align: center; font-size: 25px;">&nbsp;<a style="margin: 0 5px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/653464921387060/user/100000776772988"><i class="fa fa-facebook-square" aria-hidden="true"><span style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></i></a>&nbsp;</p>

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<h2 class="" style="text-align: center;">Tailgate Crew</h2>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-379 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ben-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">Ben elijah</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">Convoy leader</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Ben is a 9 year member that leads our early morning convoy into White Field with his flags flying high and a proud Legion leader. He is also Legion's cornhole undefeated champion.</p>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-357 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ShawnCraford-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">shawn crawford</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">HEAD TAILGATE CHEF</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Shawn has been dedicated to Legion's tailgates since day one and is known for his smoked BBQ pork, buffalo chicken wraps, and proudly flys the Legion flag above his canopy.</p>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-360 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/PapaCrawford-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">papa crawford</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">breakfast chef</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Papa Crawford loves visiting Notre Dame with his son Shawn and assists with Legion's tailgates. He is well known for cooking breakfast and makes killer Belgium waffles.</p>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-352 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Tara2-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">tara michen</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">tailgate chef</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Tara has been planning and cooking for Legion's community home tailgates and watch parties since 2016 and is known for her homemade Mac N' Cheese and Bloody Marys. &nbsp;</p>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-365 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AndyAshley-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">ashley &amp; andy basso</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">tailgate chef</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Ashley &amp; Andy joined Legion in 2021 and love tailgating with the community. They bring comfort with their food and a T.V. lounge to gather around and watch college gameday.</p>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-371 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/LaurieJeff-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">laurie &amp; jeff mcfadden</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">tailgate chef</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Laurie and Jeff joined Legion in 2019 and are huge supporters of the community. Their dedication is second to none, and they love providing food and fun for tailgates.</p>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-385 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DaveandMelissa-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">dave &amp; mellisa digman&nbsp;</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">tailgate chef</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Dave &amp; Mellisa became members in 2021 and have been tailgating with the Legion every since. They both love to cook for members and are truly dedicated to Legion hospitality.</p>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-389 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CalibCarri-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">Calib &amp; carri Quigley</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">tailgate chef</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Calib &amp; Carri met us at White Field for a tailgate and found their home with Legion. They have become family and adding love to the Legion tailgate experience.</p>
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<p class="" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bg-img bg-img-circle alignnone wp-image-430 size-thumbnail" style="margin: 20px 0;" src="https://staging.legionoftheleprechaun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NickShelby-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></p>

<h4 class="color1-color" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">Shelbey &amp; nick Banke</h4>
<p class="h5" style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">tailgate assistant</p>
<p class="" style="text-align: center;">Laurie and Jeff joined Legion in 2019 and are huge supporters of the community. They're dedication is second to none, and they love providing food and fun for tailgates.</p>
<p class="bg-social-icons inherit" style="text-align: center; font-size: 25px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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