Notre Dame’s Josh Yago delivers Memorial Day salute during anthem before lacrosse championship game
Notre Dame’s Josh Yago put on one of the best performances of Memorial Day before the start of the NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse championship.
Yago, an Air Force graduate transfer and second lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force, stood at attention and saluted during the national anthem before Notre Dame played Princeton in Charlottesville on Monday afternoon.
It was a great moment.
Josh Yago of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish went viral for his patriotic display on Memorial Day before the start of the NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse championship. (Larry French/NCAA Photos)
Several of Yago’s videos published on social media quickly reached hundreds of thousands of views. “SportsCenter” released full video of Yago standing on the Notre Dame sideline in full Fighting Irish regalia, helmet off, right hand raised in salute as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played.
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On a normal day, it would be a great moment.
On Memorial Day? It was perfect.
Yago is not your average college athlete facing the camera during the anthem. He spent his first four years at Air Force, became one of the best players in program history, graduated from the academy and then transferred to Notre Dame for his final collegiate lacrosse season.
He is also preparing to continue serving the country after his lacrosse career.
This put a slightly different emphasis on Monday’s anthem moment. A player with a military background with an American flag patch on his jersey stands at attention on Memorial Day before playing for the national championship.
This is what most American sports fans want to see.
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There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about athletes, the national anthem, and patriotism. Most of it is tiring and overly political. Some athletes even seem to enjoy putting themselves in the spotlight during the national anthem.
But not Yago. He just wanted to respect his country. And he did it perfectly.
Air Force graduate and Space Force officer Josh Yago stood during the anthem and saluted before Notre Dame’s NCAA lacrosse championship game against Princeton. (Caden Gilbert/NCAA Photos/Getty Images)
It is truly sad that even an athlete being respectful while playing the national anthem is something worth talking about. This was the bare minimum expectation. Unfortunately, it sometimes seems less common than profane displays.
USA Lacrosse reported Before the championship game, one of Yago’s Air Force mentors reminded him to “play for these soldiers” over Memorial Day weekend. Yago also said he wants to represent his brothers and sisters throughout the Air Force, Space Force and military.
He then took the field before the biggest game of his college career and backed it up with a patriotic display that immediately resonated online.
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Notre Dame lost 16-9 against Princeton and the Tigers captured their first national championship since 2001.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish players celebrate a goal during the Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. (Larry French/NCAA Photos/Getty Images)
But Yago still gave college lacrosse fans one of the most memorable sights of the day before the opening whistle.
Greeting during the anthem.
On Memorial Day.
From a Space Force officer.
AMERICA! AMERICA!
