The Alltime Notre Dame Team
Lou Somogyi
September 20, 2006
HOW DO YOU PICK
OUT THE BRIGHTEST STARS FROM A GALAXY? YOU LOOK AT ACHIEVEMENTS, IMPACT ON THE
TEAM--AND YOU SAY A PRAYER
|
OFFENSE |
|
QB |
JOE MONTANA
|
1975, '77-78 |
Led Irish back from 34-12 deficit in '79 Cotton Bowl despite hypothermia |
|
FB |
JEROME BETTIS
|
1990-92 |
In final game rushed for 75 yards in Cotton Bowl win over Texas A&M
|
|
HB |
GEORGE GIPP
|
1917-20 |
His 8.1 yards per carry as a senior remains a single-season record |
|
FL |
RAGHIB ISMAIL
|
1988-90 |
Averaged 62 yards on 17 career TDs; was Heisman runner-up as a junior |
|
SE |
TIM BROWN
|
1984-87 |
As receiver, rusher and kick returner averaged 116.8 yards per game |
|
TE |
DAVE CASPER
|
1971-73 |
Punishing blocker who also played OT in 1971 and '72 |
|
T |
GEORGE KUNZ |
1966-68 |
No. 2 selection in 1969 NFL draft, behind O.J. Simpson
|
|
T |
JIM MARTIN
|
1946-49 |
Four-year starter for teams that were 36-0-2 and won three titles |
|
G |
AARON TAYLOR
|
1990-93 |
Consensus All-America at guard in '92 and at tackle in '93 |
|
G |
BILL FISCHER
|
1945-48 |
Outland Trophy winner and member of College Football Hall of Fame
|
|
C |
ADAM WALSH
|
1922-24 |
Played Army in '24 with two broken hands and still made game-saving pick |
|
DEFENSE |
|
DE |
ROSS BROWNER |
1973, '75-77 |
Career leader among all Irish defenders in tackles for loss |
|
DE |
LEON HART
|
1946-49 |
AP Male Athlete of the Year in '49, over Jackie Robinson and Sam Snead
|
|
DT |
CHRIS ZORICH
|
1988-90 |
Finished career with 219 tackles; Lombardi Award winner in '90 |
|
DT |
ALAN PAGE
|
1964-66 |
Now a justice on the Minnesota State Supreme Court |
|
LB |
JIM LYNCH
|
1964-66 |
Captain of defense that allowed 17 points in 10 games in '66 |
|
LB |
BOB GOLIC
|
1975-78 |
Two-sport All-America in 1978 (football and wrestling) |
|
LB |
GEORGE CONNOR
|
1946-47 |
Member of both pro and college football halls of fame |
|
SS |
LUTHER BRADLEY |
1973, '75-77 |
As freshman led national champs in picks (six) and passes broken up (11) |
|
FS |
JOHN LUJACK
|
1943, '46-47 |
Brilliant tackler who also quarterbacked three national champs |
|
CB |
TODD LYGHT
|
1987-90 |
Intercepted eight passes in 1989; mainstay in record 23-game win streak |
|
CB |
JOHN LATTNER |
1951-53 |
Only player to win Maxwell Trophy twice ('52 and '53) |
|
SPECIAL TEAMS |
|
K |
JOHN CARNEY
|
1984-86 |
His 51 field goals are most in ND history; seventh on alltime NFL scoring list |
|
P |
BILL SHAKESPEARE |
1933-35 |
Booted one 86 yards--a school record--in 9-6 upset of Pittsburgh in '35 |
|
U |
PAUL HORNUNG
|
1954-56 |
Our utilityman is the only player on a losing team (2-8) to win Heisman |
|
COACH |
KNUTE ROCKNE
|
1918-30 |
His .881 lifetime winning percentage is tops in college and pro football |
|
ASST. C |
FRANK LEAHY
|
1941-43, '46-53 |
Seven undefeated seasons and a school-record four national titles |
TO SELECT a Notre Dame dream team is to get a new appreciation of the term too much of a good thing. Seven quarterbacks who are in the College Football Hall of Fame did not make this squad. Three defensive linemen who were the Nos. 1 or 2 picks in the NFL draft were cut from our top 25. Even the school's alltime leading passer, rusher, receiver and tackler couldn't crack the lineup.
Irish legend Paul Hornung explained the problem when he was asked why ND didn't retire his jersey number. "If they retired the jersey number of every Notre Dame player who's worthy," Hornung said, "they'd be playing with bare backs."
JEROME BETTIS
FB | CAREER: 1990-92
HIGHLIGHTS: 1,912 rushing yards, 27 touchdowns, 5.7 yards per carry
THE BUS rambled for 972 yards and scored a single-season school-record 20 TDs as a sophomore, not including his 150-yard, three-touchdown effort in a 39-28 victory over No. 3 Florida in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. He turned pro after his junior year and finished his NFL career as the No. 5 alltime rusher.
ROSS BROWNER
DE | CAREER: 1973, '75-77
HIGHLIGHTS: 340 career tackles, 77 tackles for loss
A STARTER as a freshman for the 1973 national champions, the future Bengal placed fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting for the '77 national champs. Browner won the Outland Trophy ('76) and the Maxwell Trophy ('77), presented since 1937 to the top collegiate player.
JOHN LATTNER
CB | CAREER: 1951-53
HIGHLIGHTS: Heisman Trophy (1953)
A HALFBACK on offense, the Chicago native didn't lead the unbeaten 1953 Irish in rushing, passing, receiving or scoring, but he did it all, including returning two kickoffs for touchdowns and setting the school record for career interceptions (13).
RAGHIB ISMAIL
FL | CAREER: 1988-90
HIGHLIGHTS: Walter Camp Award (1990)
THE ROCKET holds the team record for career average per catch (22.0 yards) and career kick returns for TDs (six), two of them at No. 2 Michigan in 1989. The 5' 10" speedster was also the 1990 Orange Bowl MVP with 108 yards rushing.
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