If you were to sit down and write the story of college football in America, it cannot be done without mentioning Notre Dame football. The Fighting Irish are still one of the most successful programs in the sport. They also have easily one of the largest fan bases, which is in part due to being on NBC every week for decades. But that's also true because of the rich tradition and history at Notre Dame.
This is a very difficult list to write. There have been so many legends that have worn the golden helmet over the years. Some of them did not have particularly eye-popping statistics but helped propel the program to glory. While others are considered some of the greatest football players in history, all programs included, but never achieved the ultimate prize of a national championship.
Before I dive into ranking the five greatest Notre Dame football players ever, I want to acknowledge some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Jerome Bettis – RB
Nicknamed ‘The Bus,' Jerome Bettis was a physical force while at Notre Dame. His bruising style of play was synonymous with how the Fighting Irish played during his time there. He scored 27 rushing touchdowns during his time there, punishing defenders along the way. He parlayed that into the same type of dominant pro career.
Raghib Ismail – WR/KR
Speaking of nicknames, Raghib ‘Rocket' Ismail was one of college football's more explosive players ever. His blazing speed and athleticism was put display during the 1989 and 1990 seasons. He racked up more than 4,000 all purpose yards as a wide receiver and a kick returner while at Notre Dame.
Tony Rice – QB
Tony Rice is not the prototypical quarterback for Notre Dame. He is not your usual drop-back pocket passer. But he is the best dual threat QB in Notre Dame history and was the last one to lead the Fighting Irish to a national championship in 1988. He passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 2,000, putting him into elite company.
Okay, now let's move onto five greatest players in the school's history.
5. Joe Montana – QB
Some people might have Joe Montana even higher on this list. I would love to do that, but as you will see, this is such a difficult list to crack. Montana, or ‘Joe Cool' as he was known during his time with the San Francisco 49ers, was known for his calm demeanor and excellent leadership skills.
But those weren't the only important skills he possessed. Montana was deadly accurate with the football and led Notre Dame to one of the more improbable runs in the sports history. In 1977, Montana took over at QB after a loss to Ole Miss in Week 2 and never looked back, leading the Fighting Irish 10 straight wins, including beating #1 Texas for a national championship.
4. Tim Brown – WR
Tim Brown is one of the most electrifying players college football has ever witnessed. He is without question the greatest receiver in Notre Dame history, and that's quite a list in and of itself. Brown finished his college career with just shy of 2,500 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns and was easily the team's biggest threat all four of his years from 1984 through 1987.
3. George Gipp – QB/HB/KR/K
When you think of old school football, George Gipp should come to mind. I'm sure you have heard the phrase ‘win one for the Gipper.” Well, now you know where it comes from. He is arguably the greatest tw0-way player in college football history.
Gipp did it all, leading Notre Dame in passing and rushing in 1918, 1919 and 1920. He was the team's punter, kicker, kick returner and played on defense. He finished his career with 21 career touchdowns, averaged 38 yards per punt, 14 yards per punt return, 22 yards per kick return, and had five interceptions.
Gipp was the first player in Notre Dame history to be named a consensus All-American. Sadly, he passed away from pneumonia in 1925 at age 25, leading Knute Rockne to coin that famous phrase.
2. Johnny Lujack – QB
It's nearly impossible to tell the story of Notre Dame football without detailing Johnny Lujack's exploits. He quarterbacked the Fighting Irish to three national championships. More impressively, they were separated by World War II, winning titles in 1943, 1946 and 1947.
Lujack was a two-time All-American, Heisman Trophy winner and probably most impressively, never lost a game. Yeah, he finished 28-0 over his three seasons.
1. Paul Hornung – QB/FB
Obviously it's difficult to beat the resume of Lujack. Paul Hornung may not do that on paper, but what he means to Notre Dame and college football as a whole cannot be overlooked.
He was named an All-American in 1955 and won the 1956 Heisman Trophy. That season, he led the Irish in passing, rushing, kick returns, punt returns, scoring and punting. What is truly remarkable and I believe what shows how great he truly was, he is still the only player in the history of the sport to win the Heisman Trophy on a losing team. Notre Dame went 2-8 in 1956, yet he was considered the best player in the country.
Just imagine what he could have done if he had a better team around him.
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