Cape dentist lives out football fantasy for ND

~ Robert Haberkorn finds it's never too late to suit up for the Irish.

Robert Haberkorn realizes a lifelong dream tonight.

He'll get the opportunity to take the football field as a Notre Dame football player, in full pads and sporting the legendary gold helmet.

Haberkorn, a dentist in Cape Girardeau, will play for Notre Dame in tonight's Fantasy Bowl I, and he couldn't be more proud. The game, which will take place on Penn State's practice field in State College, Pa., is an 11-on-11 semi-contact flag football game between participants at the annual Notre Dame Football Fantasy Camp and the Nittany Lion Football Fantasy Camp.

"For me, I've been a lifetime Notre Dame fan," Haberkorn said. "This is just a culmination of actually for the first time getting to run out and represent the Irish and knock some heads and get knocked down and play some football."

Haberkorn, 46, earned his master's in business administration from Notre Dame in 1996. His wife Heather, for his 42nd birthday, gave him a trip to the inaugural Notre Dame camp in 2003. He hasn't missed a year since, including the one that concluded in July.

"You have two days of two-a-day practices," Haberkorn said. "The coaches are on you. The average age is mid-40s and you get guys as young as early 20s to guys in their 70s. Everyone has various levels of talent and ability."

Haberkorn will start at cornerback and serve as the backup tailback for Notre Dame against Penn State tonight. He's been preparing for this weekend since the fantasy camp ended in July.

"We had workouts we were supposed to be doing," he said. "I lift over at Fitness Plus on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays religiously. Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, I run interval sprints. I'm out there at 5 a.m., when it's cooler, running. People look at me like I'm some kind of freak. My wife's like, 'I've never seen anybody as disciplined and dedicated to wanting to make this be this way.'"

The Penn State players have provided some extra incentive to help the Notre Dame players prepare. They got a hold of the Notre Dame players' e-mail addresses and have sent numerous messages predicting a lopsided victory for the Nittany Lions in Fantasy Bowl I.

"They've been talking smack on us and they're calling us out," Haberkorn said. "None of us have responded. We say the same thing, let's have a great game and see who has more points at the end of the day. It's going to get worse and more hostile as we get closer to [tonight[']s] kickoff."

Haberkorn, who said he's about 5-foot-6, never played football in high school. The fantasy camp was his first taste of the gridiron, and he fell in love with playing. It gave him a reason to work out and he's dropped a couple pant sizes since his first camp in 2003. And while he's feeling better, he's gained more than just improved health.

"This camp gave me a reason to really focus and get in shape," he said. "And along the way, no one imagined the friendships and relationships that we would build. These guys are like brothers to me."

Tonight, at 6 p.m. in State College, Pa., he'll get the opportunity to run onto the football field with those brothers and represent his alma mater. The game won't have any impact on the national championship, but Haberkorn will treat it like it does.

"The memories are great," he said. "I love these guys. We have been through something special."