Nov. 3, 2009

Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame basketball pioneer Entee Shine passed away Oct. 30th at his daughter’s home in Kennesaw, Ga. He was in his late 70’s.

Shine, a two-sport star at South Bend Central high school, played on the 1950 Notre Dame freshman football team. After one season on the gridiron he left the football team in order to focus on basketball.

As a sophomore in 1951, Shine and teammate Joe Bertrand would make Notre Dame basketball history. That year, they broke the color barrier becoming the first black players on the Irish basketball team.

Shine played in eight games and averaged 5.5 points per game while helping the Irish get off to a 7-1 start. Despite only playing half of that season, his contributions to the team were significant enough for him and Bertrand to be the first black basketball players to be awarded a Monogram from the University.

After leaving Notre Dame, Shine spent a semester at Tennessee State before being drafted into the Army.

Following his military service, he moved back to South Bend where he continued to help and mentor black student-athletes at Notre Dame.

Funeral arrangements are still pending.