Irish Lore

In addition to legendary coaches, Notre Dame has more players in the College Football Hall of Fame, than any other school.
ND players have won seven Heismans, five Maxwells, three Outlands, four Lombardis, three Walter Camps, one Johnny Unitas and one Sammy Baugh.  Past Irish heroes include legends George Gipp and the "Four Horsemen": Harry Stuhldreher, Elmer Layden, Don Miller and Jim Crowley; the seven Heisman winners: Angelo Bertelli, Leon Hart, Johnny Lujack, Johnny Lattner, Paul Hornung, John Huarte and Tim Brown; as well as Hunk Anderson, Frank Carideo, Bob Dove, Creighton Miller,  Ross Browner, Ralph Gglielmi, Aaron Taylor, George Conner, Bill Fischer, Nick Pietrosante, Walt Patulski, Alan Page, Joe Theisman, Ken McAfee, Jim Lynch, Terry Hanratty, Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, Nick Eddy, Jim Seymour, Tony Rice, Micheal Stonebreaker, Chris Zorich, Julius Jones and Joe Montana.

The Leprechaun, a student dressed in an Irish country hat, cutaway green suit with a vest, leads cheers, exhorts the crowd, and carries a shillelagh.  The Leprechaun became the official Notre Dame mascot in 1965.

The exact origin of the “Fighting Irish,” which became the official nickname in 1927, is unclear.  The mostly widely accepted version is that the press coined the phrase to describe the never-say-die fighting spirit and determination of early ND teams.

“The Band of the Fighting Irish,” originated in 1845, is the oldest university band in continual existence in the nation, and has played at every home game since football started at Notre Dame in 1887.  The band was declared a “landmark of American Music” by the National Music Council in 1976, and is an integral part of a home football weekend, in South Bend.  

The music of gameday at Notre Dame begins and ends with the fight song, the “Notre Dame Victory March.”  Written by brothers Michael and John Shea, the song was published in 1908.  It is heralded regularly at ND as “the best fight song in the nation” –  hotly disputed in Ann Arbor, Columbus and scores of other college towns, but an irrevocable fact in South Bend.

From the glee club rehearsal to the pep rally, the concert, the step off, the run-out, throughout the game, to the Band’s exit from the stadium at game’s end, the Victory March becomes an undercurrent, which carries the weekend.  

Notre Dame has several other songs, written for football and rich in tradition, also played all weekend long, including “Hike, Notre Dame,” “When Irish Backs Go Marching By,” and the Alma Mater, “Notre Dame Our Mother.”

The 10-member Irish Guard leads the Band of the Fighting Irish, and raises the flag in the stadium for the National Anthem. The kilts worn by the members are made of a plaid registered in Ireland, as the official plaid of the Notre Dame Irish Guard.

The building of Notre Dame Stadium was the project of Knute Rockne.  Rockne visited Michigan Stadium and adopted some of its features.  He planned and was involved in the design of “The House That Rock Built,” which was completed in 1930, including the parking and traffic system.  The Stadium was expanded in 1997 to its present capacity of 80,795, and includes a new natural grass field and drainage system.

Many teams try to claim the Irish as a rival, but from ND’s perspective their biggest rivals are USC, Michigan and Michigan State.  Notre Dame’s strongest rival is USC, the oldest inter-sectional rivalry in college football - started when Rockne was at the helm. 

The Irish play USC in mid-October in South Bend one year, and at the end of November in the Coliseum, the next.  They usually play Michigan and MSU, also long – time rivals, in September.  Purdue is an in-state rival, also played early.

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