July 15, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Sports Illustrated’s on-line web site, SI.com, recently released its list of Notre Dame’s top 10 athletes of all time, with seven of the 10 spots held by Irish football greats.

George Gipp, perhaps the most versatile player in college football’s storied history, certainly ranks one of the best at Notre Dame. An All-American halfback, quarterback and punter, Gipp (nicknamed “The Gipper”) was head coach Knute Rockne’s go-to man from 1917-20, leading the Irish in rushing and passing each of his last three seasons (1918, 1919 and 1920) and his career mark of 2,341 rushing yards remained the school record for more than a half century until it was broken by Jerome Heavens in 1978. Gipp died of pneumonia on Dec. 14, 1920, shortly after a Fighting Irish win at Northwestern, although his story (and the accompanying famed “Win One For The Gipper” speech Rockne gave to the Irish at halftime of a memorable 1928 win over then-unbeaten Army at Yankee Stadium) was later immortalized in the 1940 film “Knute Rockne, All-American” with future U.S. President Ronald Reagan playing the role of Gipp. In 1951, Gipp was posthumously inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural enshrinement class.

Paul Hornung, one of the most diversely talented players in Irish football history, played quarterback, left halfback, fullback and safety. Despite Notre Dame’s losing 1956 season (2-8), Hornung’s resourceful athleticism earned him the Heisman trophy, the only time a player from a losing team won the honor. The versatile Hornung was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, leading that storied franchise to four league titles, including the first-ever Super Bowl crown in 1967. Individually, he was a two-time NFL Player of the Year (1960, 1961), scoring a then-record 176 points in 12 games during the 1960 season (a record that stood until 2006, when San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson tallied 180 points). In 1985, Hornung was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and a year later, he got the call for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brady Quinn, currently a member of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, established 36 Irish records (10 career, 12 single-season, 4 single-game, 10 miscellaneous) during his career in South Bend. These include career pass attempts (1,602), completions (929), yards (11,742), yards per game (239.6), TD passes (95) and lowest interception percentage (2.43). His 29 wins as a starter tie him for the most in school history. In 2005, he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.

The Four Horsemen, aka the starting football backfield from 1922-24 (quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, left halfback Jim Crowley, right halfback Don Miller, and fullback Elmer Layden), thrashed their opponents’ defenses beginning in 1922, when legendary head coach Knute Rockne created the illustrious lineup. The quartet secured its fame during Notre Dame’s 13-7 victory over Army in 1924, a victory that caused famed sportswriter Grantland Rice to give the foursome their distinctive moniker. Fueled by that momentous win, the Irish went on to record a 27-10 victory over Stanford in the 1925 Rose Bowl, capping off a perfect 10-0 season and clinching the first of a record-setting 11 national championships.

Austin Carr, Irish point guard from 1968-71, dominated the Irish record book throughout his career. He is Notre Dame’s all-time leading scorer (2,560 points), he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007. From 1968-71, the guard controlled the court in South Bend. He was named the AP’s National Player of the Year his senior season (1970-71) and in the same year, he was the first pick overall in the NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He went on to earn NBA All-Rookie honors in 1972 and played 10 seasons in the league, the first nine in Cleveland before ending his career in 1980-81 by splitting time between the Washington Bullets and Dallas Mavericks. He currently works in the Cavaliers organization and is a fixture on their radio and television broadcasts.

Joe Theismann, Irish quarterback from 1968-70, finished runner-up in the 1970 Heisman Trophy balloting. In the same year, he was named Notre Dame’s most valuable offensive player after he led the team to a 10-1 season and an upset of top-ranked Texas at the Cotton Bowl (24-11). He holds team records or pass completions in a game (33), passing yards in a game (526), and ranks sixth all-time in career-passing yards (4411). Theismann went on to achieve success with the NFL’s Washington Redskins, leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl title in 1982.

Joe Montana, perhaps Notre Dame’s most recognizable football name, had significantly more success as a pro than he did in college. Not to say that his career in blue and gold was trivial. After redshirting his junior year in 1977, the Monongahela, Pa., quarterback recovered from his injury and led the Irish to a national championship. Known as the “Chicken Soup Game,” the 1979 Cotton Bowl was Montana’s most dramatic as a student-athlete. His touchdown pass to Kris Haines with no time remaining gave Notre Dame a 35-34 upset win over Houston. Montana went on to win four Super Bowl titles with the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers (earning three Super Bowl MVP nods in the process) and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Shannon Boxx, Irish women’s soccer player from 1995-98, helped the Irish to their first NCAA title in 1995, while also collecting the school’s first BIG EAST championship in any sport along the way. After graduating, she played her way on to the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2003, joining the roster just prior to the Women’s World Cup and becoming the first player in U.S. women’s soccer history to play in the event without ever having a previous national team appearance (cap). Boxx has since evolved into one of the world’s top defensive midfielders, helping the United States to a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics (she scored the team’s first goal in the tournament) and semifinal appearances in the 2003 and 2007 Women’s World Cups. She is slated to start for Team USA at next month’s Beijing Olympics.

Tim Brown, a Notre Dame wideout from 1984-87, won the 1987 Heisman Trophy, making him the most recent Irish player to garner the award. Brown finished his college career as the school’s all-time leader in pass reception yards (2,493). The Los Angeles Raiders made him the eight overall pick in the 1988 draft. He spent 16 years with the Raiders franchise (in both Los Angeles and Oakland), during which he established himself as one of the League’s most prolific wide receivers. His fame and success with the organization also earned him the title, Mr. Raider. He moved on to Tampa Bay late in his career and retired in 2005 as one of the most prolific pass-catchers in NFL history. He is eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame beginning in 2010.

Ruth Riley, Irish women’s basketball center from 1998-2001, led the Irish to their first NCAA national championship in 2001, earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors along the way. A three-time All-American, Riley was the consensus national player of the year and BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year in 2001 and was a three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year selection (1999-2001). In addition, she is the only player in school history to amass 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career. An eight-year WNBA veteran, Riley is in her second season with the San Antonio Silver Stars after winning a pair of championships with the Detroit Shock in 2003 and 2006 (earning Finals MVP honors in ’03 to become the first player in history to be an NCAA and WNBA Finals MVP). What’s more, Riley is one of seven players to earn an NCAA title, WNBA title and Olympic gold medal during their careers, garnering the latter award with the 2004 U.S. Senior National Team at the Athens Olympics.