Saturday, August 21, 2010

University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Uniform and Team History


University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish

1. This document was created by Scott Sillcox to provide information about:
- the uniform images depicted in poster shown above
- the particular players whose uniforms are shown in the poster
- the history of Notre Dame football
- the University of Notre Dame’s football stadium
- the University of Notre Dame's football team in general

If you would like to read an even more detailed version of this document in pdf form with approximately 30 accompanying images, please visit:
www.mapleleafproductions.com/downloads/NotreDameFootballUniformProject.pdf

2. Please note that all of the actual original, one-of-a-kind artwork of the University of Notre Dame football uniforms as seen in the poster above are actually available for sale. These watercolor paintings are truly beautiful, original watercolor paintings, and there are only 15 of them so please act quickly if you would like to buy one. These would make a wonderfully memorable, beautiful and completely unique gift for someone who loves Notre Dame football.

If you would like more information about this great artwork including the two ways you could purchase each piece, please visit our Notre Dame YouTube video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rqQRF0zKh4 or go directly to the artwork website www.heritagesportsart.com/Notre-Dame-Fighting-Irish-c88/ where you can see and purchase the artwork.

3. General Information about the University of Notre Dame Football Team

The University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana - which is approximately 90 miles east of Chicago. The school, which is an independent, national Catholic university, was founded in 1842 by Reverend Edward F. Sorin, C.S.C. The football team played its first game in 1887 - a one game schedule that featured an 8-0 loss to Michigan.

The Fighting Irish football team plays out of Notre Dame Stadium, which was built in 1930 and seats 80,225 spectators.

Notre Dame boasts an excellent tradition of football success; countless Fighting Irish have extended their football careers in the NFL, Arena League and the CFL. Notable Fighting Irish alumni include: Knute Rockne, Angelo Bertelli, Paul Hornung, Joe Montana and Raghib Ismail.

4. For more information on Notre Dame football, you may want to visit these great websites:

The official University of Notre Dame football team site can be found at:
http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/nd-m-footbl-body.html

The following website offers an excellent summary page of University of Notre Dame football, including a summary of Conference Championships; National Championships; Bowl Games; Coaches; Selected individual player records:
http://www.nationalchamps.net/NCAA/database/notredame_database.htm

For further information and a view of Notre Dame Stadium, please visit:
http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/Independent/NotreDame/index.htm
Note: this site is also a good resource for additional past & present NCAA stadiums.


5. Description and history of the uniforms depicted in the University of Notre Dame poster:

A quick note about the National Rankings and Polls shown below:
If Notre Dame was nationally ranked in "The Top 20" (or Top 10 in some years) in a particular season depicted in the poster, we show the team’s ranking. That being said, prior to 1936 there was no nationally recognized poll ranking the nation’s top teams, so you will not see any rankings prior to 1936.

From 1936 onward, we show the results of one, and then two, end-of-season polls annually ranking the Top 20 (or Top 10) college football teams. There have been various other polls over the years, but we have chosen to show the results of two polls.
1. The Associated Press (AP) Poll began in 1936 and is a poll of sportswriters. It continues to this day.
2. The United Press International (UP) Poll began in 1950 and is a poll of coaches. By 1993 it had became known as the USA Today/CNN poll, and by 1997 the USA Today/ESPN poll.


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1887

This painting honors the inaugural 1887 University of Notre Dame football team. Captained by Henry Luhn, the 1887 team went 0-1, losing to the University of Michigan Wolverines 8-0.


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1900

This painting honors the 1900 University of Notre Dame football team. The 1900 team, coached by Pat O’Dea, captained by Fullback John Farley and featuring Louis "Red" Salmon at Left Halfback, went 6-3-1.


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1912

This painting honors the 1912 University of Notre Dame football team. The 1912 team, coached by John Marks, captained by Quarterback Charles "Gus" Dorais and featuring future legendary coach Knute Rockne at Left End, went undefeated at 7-0.


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1924

This painting honors the 1924 University of Notre Dame football team. The 1924 team, crowned National Champions after going undefeated at 10-0, capped off their season by beating Stanford 27-10 in the Rose Bowl. The vaunted Irish backfield consisting of: Don Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley and Quarterback Harry Stuhldreher were dubbed "The Four Horsemen" by legendary sportscaster Grantland Rice.


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1938

This painting honors the 1938 University of Notre Dame football team and #59, worn by Jim McGoldrick, Left Guard, team captain and All-American for that season.

The 1938 team was coached by former "Four Horsemen" member Elmer Layden and went 8-1. Though the team was not crowned ‘consensus’ National Champions in 1938, they did however qualify that season, and received mention. Here is how the 1938 team ranked in the AP (Associated Press) poll for that season:

AP Rank Team
1 TCU
2 Tennessee
3 Duke
4 Oklahoma
5 Notre Dame
6 Carnegie Tech
7 USC
8 Pittsburgh
9 Holy Cross
10 Minnesota
11 Texas Tech
12 Cornell
13 Alabama
14 California
15 Fordham
16 Michigan
17 Northwestern
18 Villanova
19 Tulane
20 Dartmouth


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1943

This painting honors the 1943 University of Notre Dame football team and #48, worn by Angelo Bertelli.

The 1943 team, coached by ex-player Frank Leahy and captained by Pat Filley, went
9-1 and were crowned National Champions. Here is how the 1943 team ranked in the AP (Associated Press) poll for that season:

AP Rank Team
1 Notre Dame
2 Iowa Pre-Flight
3 Michigan
4 Navy
5 Purdue
6 Great Lakes NAS
7 Duke
8 Del Monte Pre-Flight
9 Northwestern
10 March Field
11 Army
12 Washington
13 Georgia Tech
14 Texas
15 Tulsa
16 Dartmouth
17 Bainbridge NTS
18 Colorado College
19 College of Pacific
20 Pennsylvania

Angelo Bertelli, also known as the "Springfield Rifle", was a Quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. In 1943, he not only was voted as a ‘consensus’ All-American, but also won college football’s Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. Following his career at Notre Dame, as a member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), Angelo played for the Los Angeles Dons and the Chicago Rockets of the AAFC - All American Football Conference.

Here is his official University of Notre Dame Player Profile.

He is a member of the University of Notre Dame All-Stars.

He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

He went on to the NFL where he played for 3 seasons.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Angelo Bertelli.


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1947

This painting honors the 1947 University of Notre Dame football team and #32, worn by
John Lujack. The 1947 team, coached by ex-player Frank Leahy and captained by George Connor, went undefeated at 9-0.

In a season of disputed National Champions, undefeated Notre Dame was the 1947 National Champion but did not play in a end of season bowl game. On January 6, 1948, in a special post-season poll after the Rose Bowl, the AP voted Michigan No. 1 and Notre Dame No. 2. However, the postseason poll did not supersede the final regular season poll of December 6, 1947 which had Notre Dame ranked number one:

AP Rank Team
1 Notre Dame
2 Michigan
3 SMU
4 Penn State
5 Texas
6 Alabama
7 Pennsylvania
8 USC
9 North Carolina
10 Georgia Tech
11 Army
12 Kansas
13 Mississippi
14 William & Mary
15 California
16 Oklahoma
17 North Carolina State
18 Rice
19 Duke
20 Columbia

John Lujack was a Quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. In 1947, he not only was voted as a ‘consensus’ All-American, but also won college football’s Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. Following his career at Notre Dame, John played for the Chicago Bears.

Here is his official University of Notre Dame Player Profile.

He is a member of the University of Notre Dame All-Stars.

He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960.

He was recognized as the 61st best College Football Player of all time by the College Football News in their 2000-ish ranking.

He went on to the NFL where he played for 4 seasons.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about John Lujack.


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1956

This painting honors the 1956 University of Notre Dame football team and #5, worn by
Paul Hornung. The 1956 team, coached by Terry Brennan and captained by Jim Morse, went 2-8.

Paul Hornung, also known as the "Golden Boy", was both a Halfback and Quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. In 1955, as Halfback, he was voted a ‘consensus’ All-American. In 1956, as Quarterback, he not only was again voted as an All-American, but also won college football’s Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. Following his career at Notre Dame, Paul played for the Green Bay Packers.

Here is his official University of Notre Dame Player Profile.

He is a member of the University of Notre Dame All-Stars.

He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

He went on to the NFL where he played for 9 seasons.

He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Paul Hornung.


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1962

This painting honors the 1962 University of Notre Dame football team and #7, worn by
John Huarte. The 1962 team, coached by Joe Kuharich and captained by Mike Lind, went 5-5.

John Huarte was a Quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. In 1964, he won college football’s Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. Following his career at Notre Dame, John played 2 seasons for the Boston Patriots in the American Football League (AFL), before playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears.

Here is his official University of Notre Dame Player Profile.

He is a member of the University of Notre Dame All-Stars.

He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

He went on to the AFL where he played for 2 seasons and following the league merger, played for another 4 seasons in the NFL.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about John Huarte.


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1973

This painting honors the 1973 University of Notre Dame football team and #2, worn by
Tom Clements. The 1973 team, coached by Ara Parseghian and tri-captained by Frank Pomarico, Dave Casper and Mike Townsend, went undefeated at 11-0.

In a season of disputed National Champions, Notre Dame was crowned the AP National Champion in 1973 and capped off their undefeated season by beating Alabama 24-23 in the Sugar Bowl. Here is how the 1973 team ranked in the AP (Associated Press) vs. the pre-Bowl UP (United Press) poll for that season:

UP Rank *before Bowl Games
AP Rank Team
4 1 Notre Dame
3 2 Ohio State
2 3 Oklahoma
1 4 Alabama
5 5 Penn State
6 6 Michigan
11 7 Nebraska
7 8 USC
10 9 Arizona State
13 10 Houston
11 11 Texas Tech
9 12 UCLA
14 13 LSU
8 14 Texas
17 15 Miami Ohio
16 North Carolina State
17 Missouri
15 18 Kansas
19 Tennessee
18 20 Maryland
15 20 Tulane

Tom Clements was a Quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. In 1974, he finished 4th in balloting for college football’s Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. Following his career at Notre Dame, Tom had an illustrious career in the CFL (Canadian Football League). In 1980, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs, before returning to the CFL - where he continued until 1987.

He played a total of 12 seasons in the CFL and was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame & Museum in 1994:

He played 1 season in the NFL.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Tom Clements.


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1977

This painting honors the 1977 University of Notre Dame football team and #3, worn by
Joe Montana. The 1977 team, coached by Dan Devine and tri-captained by Terry Eurick, Ross Browner and Willie Fry, went 11-1.

Notre Dame was the National Champion in 1977 and capped off their championship season by beating Texas 38-10 in the Cotton Bowl. Here is how the 1977 team ranked in the UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) polls for that season:

UP Rank AP Rank Team
1 1 Notre Dame
2 2 Alabama
3 3 Arkansas
5 4 Texas
4 5 Penn State
*On Probation 6 Kentucky
6 7 Oklahoma
7 8 Pittsburgh
8 9 Michigan
9 10 Washington
12 11 Ohio State
10 12 Nebraska
12 13 USC
11 14 Florida State
15 15 Stanford
19 16 San Diego State
14 17 North Carolina
18 18 Arizona State
19 Clemson
16 20 BYU
16 North Texas
19 North Carolina State

Joe Montana was a Quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. Following his career at Notre Dame, Joe spent the majority of his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, before closing it out with the Kansas City Chiefs. During his NFL playing days, he was also known as "Joe Cool" or the "Comeback Kid" - for his calm demeanor under severe pressure and his knack for leading late-game, come-from-behind victories.

His NFL career encompassed a total of 15 seasons.

He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Joe Montana.


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1987

This painting honors the 1987 University of Notre Dame football team and #81, worn by
Tim Brown. The 1987 team, coached by Lou Holtz and co-captained by Chuck Lanza and Byron Spruell, went 8-4, including a 35-10 loss in the Cotton Bowl to Texas A&M.

Here is how the 1987 team ranked in the UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) polls for that season:

UP Rank AP Rank Team
1 1 Miami
2 2 Florida State
3 3 Oklahoma
4 4 Syracuse
5 5 LSU
6 6 Nebraska
7 7 Auburn
8 8 Michigan State
11 9 UCLA
9 10 Texas A&M
12 11 Oklahoma State
10 12 Clemson
14 13 Georgia
13 14 Tennessee
15 15 South Carolina
15 16 Iowa
17 Notre Dame
17 18 USC
18 19 Michigan
20 Arizona State
19 Texas
20 Indiana

Tim Brown was a Flanker for the University of Notre Dame - voted All-American in 1986. In 1987, he not only was voted a ‘consensus’ All-American, but also won college football’s Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. Following his career at Notre Dame, Tim played for both the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders - during the franchise’s relocation - before closing out his NFL playing days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here is his official University of Notre Dame Player Profile.

He is a member of the University of Notre Dame All-Stars.

He was recognized as the 64th best College Football Player of all time by the College Football News in their 2000-ish ranking.

His NFL career spanned a remarkable 17 seasons.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Tim Brown.


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1990

This painting honors the 1990 University of Notre Dame football team and #25, worn by
Raghib Ismail. The 1990 team, coached by Lou Holtz and co-captained by Mike Heldt and Ricky Watters, went 9-3, including a 10-9 loss in the Orange Bowl to Colorado.

Here is how the 1990 team ranked in the USA Today/CNN and AP (Associated Press) polls for that season:

USA Today / CNN Rank
AP Rank Team
2 1 Colorado
1 2 Georgia Tech
3 3 Miami
4 4 Florida State
5 5 Washington
6 6 Notre Dame
8 7 Michigan
7 8 Tennessee
9 9 Clemson
*On Probation 10 Houston
10 11 Penn State
11 12 Texas
*On Probation 13 Florida
12 14 Louisville
13 15 Texas A&M
14 16 Michigan State
*On Probation 17 Oklahoma
16 18 Iowa
19 19 Auburn
22 20 USC

Raghib Ismail, also known as the "Rocket", was a Flanker for the University of Notre Dame. In 1989, he was voted All-American and finished 10th in balloting for college football’s Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. In 1990, he not only was voted a ‘consensus’ All-American, but also finished as runner-up in balloting for the Heisman Trophy. Following his career at Notre Dame, Raghib was lured to the CFL (Canadian Football League), where he spent 2 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, before heading off to the NFL. During his NFL career, he played for the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders - during the franchise’s relocation - and also the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys.

Here is his Official University of Notre Dame Player Profile.

He is a member of the University of Notre Dame All-Stars.

He was recognized as the 75th best College Football Player of all time by the College Football News in their 2000-ish ranking.

He played for two seasons in the CFL.

He went on to the NFL where he played for 9 seasons.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Raghib Ismail.


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1993

This painting honors the 1993 University of Notre Dame football team and #75, worn by
Aaron Taylor. The 1993 team, coached by Lou Holtz and co-captained by Taylor, Tim Ruddy, Bryant Young and Jeff Burris, went 11-1, including a 24-21 victory in the Cotton Bowl to Texas A&M.

The Cotton Bowl that season was played in front of 69,855 people, which, at the time, was the largest regular-season attendance in NCAA history. Though the 1993 team was not crowned ‘consensus’ National Champions, they did however qualify that season, and received mention. Here is how the 1993 team ranked in the USA Today/CNN and AP (Associated Press) polls for that season:

USA Today / CNN Rank
AP Rank Team
1 1 Florida State
2 2 Notre Dame
3 3 Nebraska
*On Probation 4 Auburn
4 5 Florida
5 6 Wisconsin
6 7 West Virginia
7 8 Penn State
8 9 Texas A&M
9 10 Arizona
10 11 Ohio State
11 12 Tennessee
12 13 Boston College
13 14 Alabama
15 15 Miami
16 16 Colorado
14 17 Oklahoma
17 18 UCLA
21 19 North Carolina
18 20 Kansas State

Aaron Taylor was an Offensive Guard and Tackle for the University of Notre Dame. In 1992, he was voted All-American as Offensive Guard and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award - which is annually presented to the top Lineman in college football. In 1993, as Offensive Tackle, he was voted All American, won the Lombardi Award, and was also one of 3 finalists for the Outland Trophy - which is awarded to the best college football interior Lineman. Following his career at Notre Dame, Aaron played for the Green Bay Packers, winning a Super Bowl with them in 1997, before closing out his NFL playing days with the San Diego Chargers.

Here is his official University of Notre Dame Player Profile.

He is a member of the University of Notre Dame All-Stars.

He went on to the NFL where he played for 5 seasons.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Taylor.


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2002

This painting honors the 2002 University of Notre Dame football team and #3, worn by
Arnaz Battle. The 2002 team, coached by Tyrone Willingham, went 10-3, including a
28-6 loss in the Gator Bowl to North Carolina State.

Here is how the 2002 team ranked in the USA Today/ESPN and AP (Associated Press) polls for that season:

USA Today / ESPN Rank
AP Rank Team
1 1 Ohio State
2 2 Miami
3 3 Georgia
4 4 USC
5 5 Oklahoma
7 6 Texas
6 7 Kansas State
8 8 Iowa
9 9 Michigan
10 10 Washington State
*On Probation 11 Alabama
11 12 North Carolina State
13 13 Maryland
16 14 Auburn
12 15 Boise State
15 16 Penn State
17 17 Notre Dame
14 18 Virginia Tech
18 19 Pittsburgh
21 20 Colorado

Arnaz Battle was a Quarterback and Flanker/Wide Receiver for the University of Notre Dame. He was ultimately converted from the Quarterback position because of his athletic ability and mobility. Following his career at Notre Dame, Arnaz was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.

Here is his official University of Notre Dame Player Profile.

A summary of his NFL career can be found here.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Arnaz Battle.


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Celebrate the University of Notre Dame's football uniform history by owning a piece of history:

If you love the Notre Dame and the history of Fighting Irish football, you might really love to own an original piece of artwork celebrating the team's historic uniforms as seen in the poster at the top of this blog - you can actually own one of those original pieces of art! There are only 15 pieces of original art available for sale, and when these 15 are sold, that's it, they're all sold out.

These original watercolor paintings would make a great gift (birthday gift, anniversary gift, retirement gift, Christmas gift, etc.) for someone you love or even a great gift for yourself (one of these framed pieces would look fantastic in your home or office). Each piece can be bought one of two ways:
1. As unframed art that you could have framed or mounted yourself (the one on the left)
2. Framed in our "Classic" framed version (the middle version)
3. Version 3 not available for Notre Dame.



If you would like more information about this great artwork including the two ways you could purchase each piece, please visit our Notre Dame YouTube video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rqQRF0zKh4 or go directly to the artwork website www.heritagesportsart.com/Notre-Dame-Fighting-Irish-c88/ where you can see and purchase the artwork.

And if someone you know loves the history of sports uniforms (but maybe another team) and loves great art, please let them know that we have over 1500 pieces of great original artwork for sale at www.heritagesportsart.com (all NFL teams, all MLB teams, all NHL teams, all CFL teams, select NCAA football teams) or check out each team's video at the Heritage Sports Art YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/user/ssillcox

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This blog was written by Scott Sillcox and was last updated August 21, 2010. I have tried to ensure the accuracy of the information, but I am human and can make mistakes. If you believe I have made a mistake, please let me know by email at ssillcox@rogers.com !

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Thank you for taking the time to add a comment - all input is welcome, especially the constructive kind! All the best - Scott