Boys will be boys and that's exactly what Sam Vos was one day during the autumn of 2000, when the energetic 12-year-old kid was creating more chaos in his family's Burlington home.

In the Vos' living room was a leather couch, its $400 price tag having just been removed. As Sam played with his little brother, Max, there was a hellacious collision and … well, you can guess where this goes from here.

"Max got up to a full head of steam running through the kitchen and tackled Sam over the new couch, landing on the middle cushion and breaking the couch frame in half," said Jane Vos, the boys' mother, who had grown used to replacing lamps, vases and assorted knickknacks.

Men can be real men and that's exactly what Sam Vos was one day earlier this year, when the then aspiring 18-year-old young man decided to go out for the college football team where he is enrolled. We're not talking Concordia, UW-River Falls or Carroll, as fine as those NCAA Division III programs are. We're talking about the storied, hallowed institution known as Notre Dame, where autumn leaves flutter against the backdrop of a majestic Golden Dome and blue sky.

Block out for a moment the nightly zingers from Jay Leno that poke fun at Notre Dame's historically futile 1-8 record this season under coach Charlie Weis. Any way you slice it, Notre Dame is still about Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and Ara Parseghian. It's still about Touchdown Jesus, Heisman Trophy winners and national championships.

And Vos, barely recruited after an exceptional career as a slot receiver and defensive end at Catholic Central High School, dared to be a part of that.

"A transition from Wisconsin Division 7 football to a major Division I college program almost seemed impossible," said Vos, a 2006 Catholic Central graduate. "But when I went to tour Notre Dame the summer after I graduated, my tour guide was a walk-on football player named John Lyons. He told me the program was pretty good with walk-ons and that if I had a serious interest, I should strongly consider trying out."

By the end of last January, Vos was among about 30 walk-on candidates at the Loftus Center, Notre Dame's indoor practice facility. Garbage cans lined the grounds for prospects to lose their lunches as Notre Dame's staff found out just how badly they wanted to be among the Irish.

"The first sign that it was not going to be easy was that the first workout was at 5 a.m.," Vos said. "It was pretty obvious that they meant business right from the start. There were garbage cans lining the field when we started and, within 10 minutes, there were people using them. One kid just stopped and walked off the field five minutes in.

"It was apparent halfway through that a lot of kids weren't going to make it through this workout. The first day was the biggest weeding-out process."

And for the 12 who survived that first day of hell, there was no instant gratification nor any promises. Everything came in agonizingly gradual increments, from being allowed to practice with the team to being invited to spring practice to getting to play in the annual blue gray game.

"In May, after grades came out - walk-ons must have a 3.0 GPA or higher - the director of player personnel sent us an e-mail congratulating us for our hard work and saying that we had made the team," Vos said. "Although I was confident I made the team, the confirmation was very satisfying."

So has this season, even with Notre Dame's record. As a walk-on, Vos still pays tuition, but dresses for every home game and is allowed to do everything with the team except travel. And while he has yet to appear in a game this season, there is a chance Vos eventually will earn a scholarship if he excels in special teams and continues to do well academically.

"Coach Weis values academics, so a walk-on with a high GPA will get consideration for a scholarship," Vos said.

But even if a scholarship never materializes and the Vos family must continue picking up the $45,000-a-year tab for Sam's experience at Notre Dame, somehow, it all seems so worth it.

One day, Sam Vos will be able to tell his children that he wore No. 85 for the Fighting Irish. And that he was able to daily slap the "Play like a champion" sign as he walked downstairs from the stadium locker room to the field. And that he regularly walked past Tim Brown's 1987 Heisman Trophy and the school's 1988 NCAA championship trophy in the practice facility lobby.

And that he attained immediate celebrity status just because he earned a position with one of the most storied programs in the history of organized sports.

"After the spring game, as I exited the stadium through the big gates, there was a crush of people and it took me 10 minutes to get through signing autographs," Vos said.

Even after Notre Dame reached another dreary milestone by losing to Navy last Saturday for the first time since 1963, the vibes continue to be positive for Vos. There have been no ugly incidents involving rabid fans who base their self-esteem on the success of Notre Dame. No jeers, jokes and few boos.

Just joy.

"People are so football crazy that they support the team, no matter what," Vos said. "The games are still sold out and people still voice their support every week. An especially encouraging sign has been the students. They always stay until the end and then the team sings the alma mater with the student section."

And on every football Saturday in South Bend, Ind., Vos' heart beats with passion under his No. 85 jersey. And under that jersey is a Catholic Central shirt.

"It was a special program that has a winning tradition and a coach (Tom Aldrich) who teaches life lessons as well as football," Vos said. "And I was fortunate to be a part of it."

Peter Jackel is a reporter for The Journal Times. You can reach him by calling (262) 634-3322, Ext. 323 or by e-mailing him at: peter.jackel@lee.net