There is a terrific feature from Chicago Tribune writer Brian Hamilton today about new Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist. The guy gets involved in a lot of causes and is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. Ending homophobia appears to be one of those causes.
On a July afternoon, Crist, a two-year starter at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High, arrived early for an appointment at the Guglielmino Athletics Complex, wearing red workout shorts and a black T-shirt. On the shirt’s front, in large white lettering, was a slogan: “StaND Against Hate.”
It was a week on campus dedicated to ending hate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Crist had a tough time remembering it. But then he has served McFlurrys to terminally ill children, worked with the homeless in San Jose, read to children in South Bend-area libraries and recruited 50-plus teammates to shave their heads in the name of childhood cancer research.
It all tends to blur together. Next thing you know, he will go to Africa to build libraries. No, really. He might do that.
Linebacker Manti Te’o labeled Crist “a perfect Notre Dame role model,” noting he often bails out less eloquent teammates in meetings with recruits’ parents, offering “those answers that you’re just like, ‘You’re the golden boy.’ “
The quarterback at Notre Dame is a BMOC and him wearing such a shirt sends a terrific message not only to his teammates but to fellow students. The only problem is that it makes it hard to root against the Irish this year.
Hat tip to reader Greg for sending the item.
on Aug 24th, 2010 at 4:02 PM
Thanks Dayne
Your willingness to stand up for justice and an end to hate
make a great difference. Your folks should be congratulated for raising such a fierce advocate.
on Aug 24th, 2010 at 4:13 PM
You’re right: it’ll be all the more harder to root against the Irish. But I’ll just cheer for the offense and scream against their defense.
on Aug 24th, 2010 at 10:22 PM
It is interesting that he wore the T-shirt to an interview with a reporter. Perhaps he is so comfortable being against homophobia that it was just another T-shirt he grabbed out of the pile.
on Aug 26th, 2010 at 9:19 AM
Dayne Crist went to a Catholic high school and is attending the most famous Catholic university in the country (but not the most prestigious
). He represents the disconnect between an official church (which though condemning homophobia, promotes it by terming homosexuality “intrinsically evil” and “morally disordered”) and the popular church, where acceptance of gay men and lesbians continues to grow.
on Aug 28th, 2010 at 12:44 AM
Dayne sounds like a fantastic guy who wants to make a real difference in the world. His list of causes, for a guy that young, is amazing.
As for going against the teachings of the Catholic Church, I think most young people realize that the Bible can’t be taken literally…otherwise no one would work on Sunday, all the Red Lobsters and other shellfish places would have to shut down, women (and some men) would have to take the braids out of their hair, etc., etc., etc.
As for cheering for Notre Dame, I’m a Nittany Lion fan and have never cheered for ND. But I can’t help but hope that Dayne has a great college, and maybe even professional, football career. All the best to him.