For nearly a century, games involving Notre Dame have stood atop the list of the greatest crowds ever to witness a game of American football. This Saturday, there will likely be a new champion in that category. Tennessee and Virginia Tech are set to play at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in a game expected to Read Full Post
Rockne 85 Years On: In Life and Death, He Moved a Nation
March 31, 2016 by
After all these years, the life of the Notre Dame icon continues to inspire The shocking news dispatches started reaching the eastern United States around mid-day on Tuesday, March 31, 1931. Eight people – including Notre Dame football coach and athletic director Knute Rockne — had lost their lives in the crash of Transcontinental & Read Full Post
’57 Irish Used a Teammate’s Slight to Score Huge Upset
November 16, 2015 by
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
The Fantastic Day and Strange Tale of Art Smith
November 9, 2015 by
When Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer threw for five touchdowns and ran for a sixth Saturday to lead a 42-30 victory at Pittsburgh, it was reported that his six TDs tied a modern record for Notre Dame. But one ESPN college football highlight show featured a graphic with the all-time bests. And there it Read Full Post
100 Years Ago Today: ND, Nebraska Start a Great Series
October 23, 2015 by
Shortly after Jesse Harper was hired from Wabash College to become Notre Dame’s first full-time athletic director and head football coach in 1913, he started working on upgrading and expanding the school’s football schedule. He contacted major colleges across the country, seeking to add major opponents. Harper’s efforts resulted in Notre Dame trips to play Read Full Post
“Knute Rockne All American” at 75: The Nation’s Eyes Were on South Bend
October 4, 2015 by
By Jim Lefebvre A week of celebration and remembrance honoring Knute Rockne brought worldwide attention to South Bend, Indiana, 75 years ago this week. The legendary Notre Dame football coach had died in a plane crash nearly a decade earlier, in March of 1931, and his life and legacy mesmerized a nation in the ensuing Read Full Post
’77 Irish Survived a Challenging Trip to Death Valley
September 28, 2015 by
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
Irish Make First Venture Into Virginia, the 36th State to Host an ND Game
September 10, 2015 by
By Jim Lefebvre Forever Irish When the Fighting Irish kick off against the Virginia Cavaliers Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville, it will mark the first-ever Notre Dame game in the commonwealth of Virginia, as Virginia becomes the 36th state to host an ND game. It’s been 15 years since the last time the Irish made their Read Full Post
For ND Legacy Families from Texas, It’s a Special Time
September 2, 2015 by
By Jim Lefebvre Forever Irish www.NDFootballHistory.com They say everything is bigger in Texas. One thing is certain, as Notre Dame prepares to open the 2015 season by hosting the University of Texas – there are some pretty large extended families from the Lone Star State headed to South Bend to celebrate their Fighting Irish heritage. Read Full Post
A True Notre Dame Man, Joe Hickey Made His Place ‘Home Away From Home’ For Irish
February 10, 2015 by
A good many folks – including 15 or so former Notre Dame football players – paid their respects last weekend to Joseph E. Hickey, great Notre Dame man (Class of 1950) and citizen of South Bend, who died Feb. 3 at age 86. There were heartfelt tributes from near and far, with sentiments like this: Read Full Post
