Tony Rice (gridiron football)

Last updated

Tony Rice
No. 9
Date of birth (1967-09-05) September 5, 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth Woodruff, South Carolina, U.S.
Career information
Position(s) Quarterback
US college Notre Dame
Career history
As player
1990 Saskatchewan Roughriders
1991–1992 Barcelona Dragons
1994Munich Thunder
Career highlights and awards

Tony Rice (born September 5, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and World League of American Football (WLAF). Rice is perhaps best remembered as the dynamic option quarterback of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's 1988 national championship team under coach Lou Holtz. Rice played professional football for three seasons for the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Barcelona Dragons of the World League from 1990 to 1992. He also played for Munich Thunder in the Football League of Europe in 1994.

Contents

Recruitment and Proposition 48

While growing up in Woodruff, South Carolina, Rice played football at Woodruff High School under Coach Willie Varner. Rice entered the University of Notre Dame in 1986 and was the crown jewel in Holtz's first recruiting class. These incoming freshmen were also the first to be bound by the NCAA rules of Proposition 48, which stated that in order to participate during their freshman year, athletes must be a high school graduate; have a high school grade point average of 2.0 in an 11-course core curriculum; and have scored 700 (out of a possible 1600) on the SAT or 17 (out of a possible 36) on the ACT. If they failed to meet those standards, the athlete would not be allowed to play or practice with a college team their freshman year. Because Rice failed to meet the required 700 on his SAT (he scored a 690), he was forced to sit out the entire 1986 season. Even with future NFL quarterback Steve Beuerlein leading the offense, the team struggled to a 5-6 record.

College career

1987 season

In 1987, Tony Rice became the starting quarterback for Notre Dame following an injury to Terry Andrysiak. The Irish finished the season 8-4 and earned a berth to the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they lost 35-10 to 13th-ranked Texas A&M in a game where Rice played only sparingly. Despite the loss, the team showed dramatic improvement and finished the year ranked #17 — the team's first Top-25 finish since 1980.

Rice was a perfect fit for Holtz's ball control, run-oriented offense. Despite standing only 6'1" 200 lbs., he had great speed (4.48 40 yard dash time) for a quarterback, and tremendous strength, which made him an incredibly difficult player to contain. For the year he finished with over 1,000 yards of total offense and 8 total touchdowns (663 yards, 1 touchdown passing and 337 yards, 7 touchdowns rushing).

Matchup versus USC '87

Rice's first encounter with USC was his second start of his career on October 24, 1987 as Notre Dame defeated the ranked USC Trojans (8-4) 26-15. Rice had a 26-yard touchdown run that gave the Irish a 10-7 lead with 2:55 left in the first half. He finished with 9 rushes for 56 yards and completed 3-of-7 passes for 47 yards. [1]

Matchup versus Alabama '87

Notre Dame defeated No. 10 Alabama 37-6, on November 14, 1987, as Rice directed an option offense that gained 352 yards on the ground which offset the effort of the Crimson Tide's star running back Bobby Humphrey—who gained 94 yards on 14 rushes himself. With the score tied at 3-3 after the first quarter, Rice had a 12-yard touchdown run and a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Andy Heck in the second quarter. Notre Dame led 20-6 at the half. Irish running backs' Mark Green and Ricky Watters ended the game with 74 and 75-yard touchdown runs respectively to complete the rout. Rice wound up completing 5 of 8 passes for 117 yards while rushing 9 times for 30 yards. [2]

1988 season: national championship

In 1988, Notre Dame claimed its first National Championship in 11 years. The team went a perfect 12-0 en route to an NCAA-record eighth AP National Championship since the poll began in 1936. The season featured wins over top-ranked opponents including Michigan, USC, and Miami in addition to featuring several future NFL players Raghib Ismail, Ricky Watters, Chris Zorich, Derek Brown, Todd Lyght, Pat Terrell, Tony Brooks, Anthony Johnson, Andy Heck, Tim Grunhard and Rodney Culver. In all, 15 players from the 1988 team played in the NFL. [3]

Matchup versus Miami '88

No. 4 Notre Dame met No. 1 Miami in South Bend, Indiana on October 15, 1988. The Irish held a 31-21 lead in the third quarter, but the Hurricanes rallied to within 31-30 on a touchdown with 45 seconds left in the game. The Canes attempted the two-point conversion and failed to convert as Notre Dame's safety Pat Terrell batted down the ball. The loss snapped a 36-game, regular season winning streak for the Miami Hurricanes. [4]

Rice, who opened up the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, completed 8 of 16 passes for 195 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Braxston Banks in the second quarter. [5]

Matchup versus Penn State '88

No. 1 Notre Dame ran its record to a perfect 10-0 by defeating Penn State, 21-3, at home on November 19, 1988. Rice completed the longest pass play of his career—a 67 yarder to flanker Raghib Ismail for a touchdown. Rice went 10-of-18 passing for 181 yards while rushing 15 times for a game-high 84 yards and a touchdown. [6]

Matchup versus USC '88

A week later, #1 Notre Dame visited #2 USC at the L.A. Coliseum. The USC team led by All-American and future Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner Rodney Peete was 10-0 and a formidable team. Entering the game Peete was leading the nation in passing and was a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. Notre Dame played without its leading pass catcher Ricky Watters, and leading rusher Tony Brooks, both of whom were suspended for arriving late to team meetings. Tony Rice had a spectacular day, including a 65-yard touchdown run on the Irish's first drive. The Irish won the game 27-10, and their win propelled them into the National Championship game.

Rice finished with 13 rushes for 86 yards and completing 5 of 9 passes for 91 yards against the Trojans. [7]

Fiesta Bowl

Coming into the 1989 Fiesta Bowl, Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz insisted that his team couldn't pass the ball against West Virginia. Rice outplayed Mountaineer quarterback Major Harris, who went down with an injury early in the game, by completing 7 of 11 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

Rice finished the year with 1,176 yards and 8 touchdowns passing and 700 yards and 9 touchdowns rushing.

Senior season, 1989

Tony Rice entered his senior season with high expectations following the successes from a year ago. Notre Dame faced a schedule that included games against five ranked opponents.

On September 16, 1989, the Irish defeated the Wolverines in Ann Arbor 24-19, which included two Raghib Ismail kickoff returns for scores The next week, Notre Dame defeated Michigan State as Notre Dame's running backs Ricky Watters and Anthony Johnson scored touchdowns. [8]

Notre Dame then traveled to face #17 Air Force on October 14, 1989. In what became a shootout, Rice went 9-of-13 passing for 123 yards and rushed 14 times for 71 yards against the Falcons' defense. He also threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Johnson as the Irish defeated the Falcons 41–27 as Air Force's QB Dee Dowis passed for 306 yards. [9]

Coach Lou Holtz's Notre Dame Fighting Irish got to 6-0 and they were ranked #1 in the country. The Irish faced USC at home on October 21, 1989 in what turned into sloppy play by both sides. Notre Dame overcame five turnovers to win 28-24, thanks to a fine effort from the defense led by linebacker Chris Zorich. The Irish were down 17-7 at halftime. Rice scored on touchdown runs of 7 and 15 yards and finished with 99 yards on 18 carries. He also threw for 91 yards off 5 of 16 passing attempts. [10]

The season resumed as Rice directed Notre Dame's offense to 310 yards rushing in their October 28, 1989 45-7 over Pittsburgh. Rice had 12 carries for 69 yards and went 1-of-7 passing for 29 yards against the Panthers. [11]

On November 18, 1989, Notre Dame extended its record to 11-0 by defeating #17 Penn State, 34-23. Rice had a career-high 141 rushing yards and completed 5 of 10 passes for 47 yards as the Irish finished with 425 yards on the ground against the Nittany Lions. At this point, Notre Dame had a 23-game winning streak. [12]

Matchup with Miami '89

On November 25, 1989, #1 Notre Dame traveled to face 7th-ranked Miami (10-1). Miami grabbed a 17-10 halftime lead and won 27-10, and, led by its defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy and help from his teammates, shut down Notre Dame's running attack as Rice was limited to 50 yards on 20 carries. Rice's passing was 7-of-15 for 106 yards. It was a tough day for the Irish as they lost the rematch, 27-10. [13]

Matchup with #1 Colorado (Orange Bowl)

4th-ranked Notre Dame faced #1 Colorado (11-0) in the Orange Bowl. After a 0-0 score at halftime, the 2nd half opened with Rice directing a 69-yard drive in seven plays as fullback Anthony Johnson scored from the 2-yard line to give Notre Dame a 7-0 lead. Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, filling in at tailback for an injured Ricky Watters, scored a 36-yard touchdown run to increase Notre Dame's lead to 14-0 with 7:19 left in the third quarter. The Irish won the game, 21-6. [14]

Rice completed 5 of 9 passes for 99 yards and rushed 14 times for 50 yards. Notre Dame completed a successful 12-1 season and was ranked #2 by the AP College Football Poll after the win over Colorado. [15]

Conclusion to senior year and career at Notre Dame

Rice's record as a starting quarterback for the University of Notre Dame was 31-4 that included a national championship. Rice won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on December 1, 1989 and finished fourth in the 1989 Heisman Trophy the next day. [16] He also made the 1989 College Football All-America Team as a quarterback. His regular season statistics had him completing 68-of-137 passes for 1,122 yards and two touchdowns and rushing 174 times for 884 yards and 7 touchdowns in 12 games. He had a longest run of 38 yards while his longest pass play of the season covered 52 yards. [17] [18]

Statistics

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
SeasonGPPassingRushing
CMPATTCMP%YDSTDINTATTYDSAVGTD
1986 0Did not play due to Prop. 48
1987 11358541.266315903403.87
1988 117714951.71,3891081347755.89
1989 127314650.01,221291889345.07
Totals3418538048.73,27313224122,0495.023

Notes - Statistics from the table include bowl game performances.

Professional career

Rice was passed up by the 1990 NFL draft. He opted for the CFL after NFL teams shied away from him because of his slight, 6-foot-1 build and his success as a runner, not a passer. In June 1990, Rice was working with the Saskatchewan Roughriders during training camp as the third-string quarterback behind starter Kent Austin. The Roughriders finished 9-9 in his only season in the CFL as Rice served in mop-up duty while the starting quarterback Austin threw for 4,604 yards. [19]

After his short stint with the Roughriders of the CFL, Rice began checking other options.

In February 1991, he was drafted in the second round by the Barcelona Dragons in Spain of the World League of American Football, which played its season in the spring beginning in March. [20]

Rice's first season with Barcelona was very successful as the Dragons finished 9-3 and reached the championship game that was known as the World Bowl '91. Rice's Dragons fell to the London Monarchs, 21-0. He had nearly equal playing time with the team's starter, Scott Erney, as Rice went 69-of-129 passing for 915 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions for the season. He had 33 rushes for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first year with the new football league. [21]

The next season was not as prosperous for Barcelona as the team finished at 5-6. The Sacramento Surge knocked them out of the playoffs, 17-15, on May 31, 1992. As the backup quarterback, Rice was 22-of-57 passing for 313 yards and had 102 yards rushing and a touchdown for the 1992 season. [22]

The World League of American Football ceased its operations following the 1992 season. Rice then joined the Munich Thunder of the Football League of Europe in Munich, Germany in 1994 and played quarterback for one season there as this was his last go around with professional football.

Personal

Tony Rice and his ex-wife Felicia have five children—Alex from Bad Girls Club (season 12), Madeline Santi, Anthony, Michael, and Jasmine. Anthony is a wide receiver for Central Michigan University.

Rice works at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an insurance brokerage and risk management firm as Vice President of Employee Benefits, and works closely with Pop Warner teams making visits and giving speeches and is active in the D.A.R.E. program, fighting to keep kids off drugs. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Beuerlein</span> American football player (born 1965)

Stephen Taylor Beuerlein is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After his playing career, he became an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Watters</span> American football player (born 1969)

Richard James Watters is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). Watters played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he played wide receiver on the school's 1988 national champion team. He also won Super Bowl XXIX as a member of the 1994 49ers over the San Diego Chargers. Watters was known throughout his playing career for his outstanding receiving skills and his unique high-step running style, which earned him the nickname Ricky "Running" Watters, from ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy War (Boston College–Notre Dame)</span> College football rivalry

The Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl, more commonly known as the Holy War, is an American rivalry between the Boston College Eagles and University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a technical nonconference rivalry in college football, but in most sports an Atlantic Coast Conference rivalry. The series derives its name from the fact that the Eagles and the Fighting Irish represent the only two Catholic universities in the United States which still compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the highest level of competition in American college football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre Dame–Purdue football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Battle for the Shillelagh Trophy is an American college football rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame and Purdue Boilermakers football of Purdue University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 2005 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish completed the season with a record of 9–3, culminating in an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl and a number 9 ranking in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 UCLA Bruins football team</span> American college football season

The 2007 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California and were coached by Karl Dorrell for the regular season. It was Dorrell's fifth, and final season as the UCLA head coach. UCLA's season was marked by numerous injuries, particularly at quarterback. Original starting quarterback Ben Olson injured his knee early in the season and missed over four games. Backup quarterback Patrick Cowan also suffered a knee injury but returned for two more games before suffering a collapsed lung against Arizona. Coach Karl Dorrell was fired following the loss in the 77th UCLA–USC rivalry football game, the final regular season game for the Bruins. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker became the interim coach for the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl, in which the Bruins lost to BYU, 17–16. The Bruins finished 6–7 overall, 5–4 in the Pacific-10 Conference, where they were tied for fourth place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 1997 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bob Davie and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

The 1989 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl, played on Monday, January 2, was the 18th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. It featured the top-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the third-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers. With both teams undefeated, the Fiesta Bowl was the stage for the "national championship" for the second time in three years. As in 1987, the Fiesta Bowl featured two independents squaring off for the national title. The Fighting Irish defeated the Mountaineers to win their first national championship since 1977, and their most recent to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre Dame–USC football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh is an American college football rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame and USC Trojans football team of the University of Southern California, customarily played on the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day when the game is in Los Angeles or on the second or third Saturday of October when the game is in South Bend, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Irish, coached by Lou Holtz, ended the season with 12 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 3 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, by a score of 34–21. The 1988 squad, one of 11 national title squads for the Irish, is considered to be one of the best undefeated teams in the history of college football. The Irish beat the teams which finished the season ranked #2, #4, #5, and #7 in the AP Poll. They also won 10 of 12 games by double digits. The 1988 squad is best remembered for its 31–30 upset of No. 1 ranked Miami, ending their 36-game regular season winning streak. The game is remembered to this day as one of the most memorable games in all of college football.

The 1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with 11 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1973 Sugar Bowl by a score of a 24–23. The 1973 squad became the ninth Irish team to win the national title and the second under Parseghian. Although Notre Dame finished No. 1 in the AP Poll to claim the AP national title, they were not awarded the Coaches title, since Alabama was awarded the Coaches Poll title before the bowl season.

The 1988 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second year under head coach Larry Smith, the Trojans compiled a 10–2 record, won the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) championship, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 370 to 184.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. This was Kelly's first season as Notre Dame's head coach, after leading the Cincinnati Bearcats to a 12–0 regular season and BCS bowl berth. In 2010, Notre Dame's regular season schedule was ranked the most difficult schedule in the nation with a Team Opposition Record Percentage of .6529. They finished the season 8–5 and were invited to the Sun Bowl where they defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 33–17.

Michael A. Taylor is a former American football player. He played at the quarterback position for the University of Michigan from 1986 to 1989, the final four years of Bo Schembechler's tenure as the school's head football coach. He was Michigan's starting quarterback in 1988 and 1989 and led the Wolverines to Big Ten Conference championships both years. He finished his career at Michigan as the school's all-time leader in passing efficiency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent.

Everett Demone Golson is an American former professional football quarterback. He previously played quarterback for Notre Dame from 2011 to the spring of 2015. Golson chose to transfer to Florida State after graduating from Notre Dame.

Malik Jamaal Zaire is an American media personality and former collegiate football quarterback. He currently works for the sports media company Overtime as on-air talent and as a producer, as well as a color commentator for college football games on the CBS Sports Network. He played college football at Notre Dame, before transferring to Florida as a graduate transfer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 2017 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent. They finished the season 10–3, an impressive turnaround from the season before, where the Irish finished with their worst record since 2007. They were invited to the Citrus Bowl where they defeated LSU. The Irish would finish the season with four wins over teams that finished in the top 25 rankings, including winning three of those by over 20 points or more.

References

  1. "IRISH GROUND GAME TRAMPLES U.S.C." The New York Times. October 25, 1987. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  2. "Notre Dame....37, Alabama.....6". Eugene Register-Guard. November 15, 1987. p. 8E. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  3. //www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/notre-dame/1988-roster.html
  4. Marcus, Don (October 16, 1988). "Irish break Canes, 31-30". Boca Raton News. p. D-1. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  5. Markus, Don (October 16, 1988). "Miami comes up short against Notre Dame". Gainesville Sun. p. 1C, 5C. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  6. "No. 1 Notre Dame dumps Penn State". The News and Courier. November 20, 1988. p. 6-C. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  7. "Notre Dame, 27-10". Bangor Dailey News. November 28, 1988. p. 14. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  8. "No. 1 Notre Dame 21, Michigan State 13". The Mount Airy News. September 24, 1989. p. 5B. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  9. "Notre Dame...41, Air Force...27". Eugene Register-Guard. October 15, 1989. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  10. Wyman, Thomas P. (October 22, 1989). "Top-ranked Irish edge USC, 28-24". Ocala Star-Banner. p. 1D, 9D. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  11. "Notre Dame....45, Pittsburgh...7". Eugene Register-Guard. October 29, 1989. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  12. DeCourcy, Mike (November 19, 1989). "Notre Dame strong-arms Penn State, 34-23". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Penn. p. D1. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  13. Cook, Ron (November 27, 1989). "Miami's defense stifles Notre Dame". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 23. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  14. Kaufman, Ira (January 2, 1990). "Notre Dame hands Colorado 21-6 loss in Orange Bowl". The Daily Sentinel. Pomeroy-Middleport, Ohio. p. 3. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  15. "The Orange Bowl 1990 Notre Dame 20 Colorado 6". MMBolding.com. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  16. "1989 Heisman Trophy Voting". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  17. "Rice wins Golden Arm". Lewiston Morning Tribune. December 2, 1989. p. 2C. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  18. "1989 Notre Dame Fighting Irish". TotalFootballStats.com. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  19. Norwood, Robyn (June 15, 1990). "After NFL Takes a Pass, Angels Pick Tony Rice : Amateur draft: Former Notre Dame quarterback hasn't played baseball since grade school. He's playing professional football in Canada". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  20. "Football". Los Angeles Times. February 19, 1991. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  21. "1991 Barcelona Dragons Stats". FootballDB.com. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  22. "1992 Barcelona Dragons Stats". FootballDB.com. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  23. O'Keefe, John (October 19, 1998). "Tony Rice, Notre Dame Quarterback". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2012.