Notre Dame Football & Mount Rushmore: Part II

Yesterday, the obvious Mount Rushmore for Notre Dame football was the four coaches who represented a golden period in the program’s history that mirrored each of the presidents: Knute Rockne (George Washington), Frank Leahy (Thomas Jefferson), Ara Parseghian (Abraham Lincoln) and Lou Holtz (Theodore Roosevelt).

Now, what about the players who are the most famous or renowned figures from those respective eras? When you have a Rushmore, the figures generally have to represent a "Golden Age" in history. These four might best represent them as players.

George Gipp: The Original

This goes beyond becoming the program’s first consensus All-American (1920) in its history, holding the total offense record for 48 years and rushing mark for 58 years, and leading 9-0 campaigns in 1919-20 under Rockne that prompted some national title recognition from various outlets.

Gipp is an immortal as an original. One hundred years from now, “Win One For The Gipper” will still be part of the American lexicon.

The Four Horsemen in 1922-24 were a quartet seen as one, whereas Gipp stood alone with his multi-dimensional skills as a passer, runner and kicker.

John Lujack: The Brand

There is an instantaneous word association between Rockne and Gipp. Likewise with Lujack and Leahy. The two are inexorably linked, mainly because Lujack remains the lone quarterback in NCAA history to direct three national titles (1943, 1946 and 1947, while serving in the Navy in between during World War II) — yet was known as perhaps an even better defender and tackler.

The two-time All-American is the oldest living Heisman Trophy winner, having turned 91 on Jan. 4, and is often is recognized as the greatest athlete ever to suit up for the Fighting Irish, including lettering in four different sports.

Beyond just athletics, Lujack was a regal figure whose combination of style, leadership and humor has made him one of the premier ambassadors in the school’s history.

Ross Browner: Secretary of Defense

The most dominant defenseman in Notre Dame annals is our representative for the Golden Age from 1964-80 when Notre Dame won three consensus national titles and seriously vied for at least four others during that 17-year period.

Browner was a prime game-changing figure in two of those titles, first as a freshman in 1973 for Parseghian and then as a fifth-year senior captain for Dan Devine’s 1977 charge. His 340 tackles as a defensive lineman is unbreakable in Notre Dame history, and so is his 77 tackles for lost yardage (nobody else has more than 44.5, believe it or not). About 50 of those losses were sacks (we are doing the research on it currently), which were not officially kept until 1982.

Raghib “Rocket” Ismail: Speed Kills

He represents the most recent Golden Age in the program’s history that spanned from 1988-93.

In his three seasons of varsity action, Ismail became the first Fighting Irish player ever to eclipse 1,000 yards in three separate categories: rushing, receiving and returns (and still the only one to do it in three seasons). He would graduate in 1994 after leaving for the pros following his junior year.

He holds the school career records for yards per catch (22.0), TD returns (6) — and when you factor in bowl games, his 7.48 yards per carry (minimum 150 chances) would inch ahead of Reggie Brooks’ 7.37 in that category too.

Perhaps most notable was how his mere presence on the field enabled everyone around him to excel. In games which Ismail played, Notre Dame was 33-2. One loss came to Penn State in 1990 when he missed the second half after helping put the Irish ahead 21-7 at halftime. The other was to No. 1 Colorado in the 1991 Orange Bowl when his 91-yard punt return in the final minute was called back because of a debatable clip call.

The most difficult individual to omit was 1949 Heisman Trophy winner Leon Hart, who literally had the most perfect career in college football history. He is the only player anywhere to never lose a college football game in his four seasons (36-0-2), win the Heisman, be part of three national titles and be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Oh, and he received a degree in mechanical engineering.