Notre Dame football kicks off on Saturday against Rice. We here at South Bend Voice thought that it would be fitting tribute to feature one of the all-time greats as the Fighting Irish begin their 2014 season.
No single person is more emblematic of Notre Dame football than former coach Knute Rockne. The Norwegian-born coaching legend won four national championships for Notre Dame, including five undefeated seasons and a 105–12–5 overall record. Perhaps more important for fans of the sport, Rockne helped usher in the forward pass.
The undated photo shows Rockne — wearing his signature fedora, suit and trench coat — standing between baseball legends Babe Ruth (left) and Lou Gehrig (right).
We couldn’t think of a better way to express the team’s “play like a champion today” mantra than with this photo. Go Irish!
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