Rockne’s Connections To SEC History

The Southeastern Conference was created in 1933, when 14 schools – including the 10 institutions that would become the historical core of the league – broke away from the huge, cumbersome Southern Conference. Everywhere you turned at the time, it seemed a former Notre Dame player under Coach Knute Rockne was leading the way. At   Read Full Post

’57 Irish Used a Teammate’s Slight to Score Huge Upset

Ed Sullivan came to Notre Dame in 1953 from the football-rich area of western Pennsylvania, a solid lineman out of McKeesport and a late recruit by Coach Frank Leahy. Sullivan grew up idolizing Notre Dame, and headed west intent on getting an education and making his way into the Fighting Irish lineup. By his junior   Read Full Post

Philly “Will Be Bonkers” for Irish-Temple Tilt

The Philadelphia Archdiocese is populated with 1.4 million Catholics. The area hosted the church’s “World Meeting of Families” this September, featuring a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis, drawing a crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands. So it’s really no surprise that the first Notre Dame football game in Philadelphia since 1993 is a huge   Read Full Post

’77 Irish Survived a Challenging Trip to Death Valley

By Jim Lefebvre Forever Irish Mostly, Luther Bradley remembers the waiting. And the waiting and the waiting. It was Nov. 12, 1977 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina – known across the college football world as Death Valley. Bradley and his fellow Fighting Irish were ranked number 5 in the nation, with a 7-1   Read Full Post

Nine-Fingered Lineman? There’s a Precedent

By Jim Lefebvre www.NDFootballHistory.com New York Giants defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul made headlines this week when he suffered fireworks-related injuries at a Fourth of July celebration in Miami, and subsequently had to have his right index finger amputated. If Pierre-Paul is able to make a successful comeback, he wouldn’t be the first notable football lineman   Read Full Post

100 Years Ago: The First Notre Dame-Syracuse Battle Cements ND’s National Status

Notre Dame and Syracuse first met on the gridiron to conclude the 1914 season, after the Irish had already made two trips East and lost twice, to Yale and Army. With some questioning whether the Irish really belonged in the battle against top Eastern squads, Coach Jesse Harper’s team suffocated the Orange, 20-0, and cemented   Read Full Post

On This Day…July 2

On this day (July 2) in 1891, Charles Emile “Gus” Dorais was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. As a child, Gus had a difficult home life, as his father “abandoned the family, and his mother Malvina was taking in laundry, working as midwife, and doing other odd jobs to clothe and feed Gus, older sister   Read Full Post

ND’s Brotherhood

It’s been stated many times this season, in reference to the tight bond developed among the 12-0 Fighting Irish.  Manti Te’o will talk about the love he has for his brothers, and the support shown from his brothers during his painful time of personal loss. Indeed, the sense of brotherhood shown on and off the   Read Full Post

Catching Up With Former ND Players

The start of the NFL season is also right around the corner and a handful of former Irish are making their marks and staking a claim to roster spots on several NFL teams. We’ve linked to stories on Brady Quinn, Ryan Harris, Tommy Zbikowski and David Bruton.  Check out where they are and what the   Read Full Post

Casper Named To College Football Hall of Fame

Former University of Notre Dame football All-American Dave Casper has been named to the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame.  The 1973 consensus All-American is one of 14 former college  players and three coaches named to the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Class. Read more here.