#44
Similar to No. 42 yesterday, this was a deep unit. Breaking down 1-2-3 was a little easier, but there were several people who received All-America notice that were on the honorable mention list.
First Team: Tom Gatewood (1969-71)
When he was assigned this number as a freshman in 1968, Gatewood did a double take. He was recruited as a receiver, and that’s what he fully expected to be, so he was anticipating a number in the 80s. Ara Parseghian and the coaching staff, though, viewed him as a running back candidate and issued him 44. Throughout that fall, Gatewood informed the staff they were “missing the boat” and lobbied for a move to receiver.
Eventually, the coaching staff acquiesced and moved him to split end. Thus was born the third magnificent passing combination in the Parseghian era. The first was John Huarte to Jack Snow (1964), and it was followed by Terry Hanratty to Jim Seymour (1966-68) and Joe Theismann to Tom Gatewood (1969-70). The final one would be Tom Clements to Pete Demmerle (1973-74). Those other three wideouts wore No. 85, but Gatewood stuck with 44.
His 157 career receptions (for 2,283 yards and 19 TDs) were a school record for 35 years, until Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight eclipsed it in the same season in the pass-happy Charlie Weis attack.
The 77 catches Gatewood snared during the 10-1 season in 1970, when the Irish finished No. 2 in the country, were second most nationally. Again, that standard was broken by Samardzija with 78 in 2006 — but there is injustice involved. Never mind that Gatewood played in an era with only 10 regular-season games, while Samardzija played 12. The real issue is back then bowl games weren’t included in the final stats, whereas in the last decade they are. That means Samardzija was credited with 13 games and Gatewood 10.
Because Samardzija caught eight passes for 59 yards in a 41-14 Sugar Bowl loss to LSU, his receiving total that season jumped from 70 to 78. However, Gatewood, who caught the first TD in the 24-11 upset of No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl, does not have his bowl stats included, otherwise he would still have the most catches in a season. Unfair? You make the call.
Gatewood not only made six first-team All-America units in 1970 (plus second-team UPI in 1970 and 1971), but he also was a two-time Academic All-America selection, one of only a half dozen in school history.
Second Team: Eric Penick (1972-74)
Throughout the 1960s, Notre Dame did not have a single black running back start (possibly one reason why the staff wanted to move Gatewood there in 1968). It wasn’t for lack of trying. However, rigid academic requirements, combined with the lack of blacks on campus (Alan Page was the lone such member on the 1966 national champs), didn’t make it the most appealing spot for black athletes.
A breakthrough occurred in 1971 when Penick, a speedster out of Ohio, signed with the Irish. As a sophomore in 1972, he inherited the graduated Gatewood’s number and rushed for 726 yards — the most ever by a Notre Dame sophomore, and the most by a Parseghian back in his first nine seasons.
The next year for the national champs, Penick’s 85-yard touchdown run versus USC remains to this day perhaps the most electrifying run and perfectly executed sweep in Notre Dame Stadium history. It helped the Irish defeat the Trojans (23-14) for the first time in seven years and snap the defending national champ’s 23-game unbeaten streak.
Penick’s senior year was a huge disappointment because of a broken ankle, but his impact in 1972-73 remains memorable.
Third Team: Justin Tuck (2002-04) & Marc Edwards (1993-96)
Both are Super Bowl champions who enjoyed their share of prosperity at Notre Dame as well.
Tuck is one of many Notre Dame players in the last decade whose pro careers eclipsed their college years. David Givens, Ryan Grant, Jordan Black, Rocky Boiman, John Owens, etc. are among the others. Still Tuck did record 43 tackles for loss during his three-year career. That is third on the Notre Dame chart (since 1967) to Ross Browner’s unbelievable 77 and Kory Minor’s 43.5.
Edwards, a second-round pick, was the last of the “running” fullbacks at Notre Dame, and it coincided with the end of the Lou Holtz era. Backing up Ray Zellars at fullback as a freshman in 1993, he led the 11-1 Irish in rushing touchdowns with eight. A tri-captain as a senior, he finished his career with 1,591 yards rushing, 5.1 yards per carry and 27 touchdowns. He also grabbed 46 passes during his career for a 13.0 average per catch.
Honorable Mention & Notes: Among those receiving All-America notice from at least one media outlet were tackle Fred Miller (1928), end Ed Kosky (1932), guard Bernie Crimmins, and center Herb Coleman (1943).
One of the best names to play for Notre Dame, running back Angelo Dabiero (1959-61), led the team in rushing in 1960 (325 yards) and 1961 (637, 6.9 yards per carry). The following year, another No. 44, Don Hogan (1962), paced the Irish in rushing (454 yards).
Dave Mitchell (1977-78) became a valuable fullback during the 1977 national title run when injuries hit the backfield.
Grant Irons (1997-2001) started his career as a freshman linebacker and finished it as a captain along the defensive line.
#45
First Team: Drew Mahalic (1972-74)
One of many Ara Parseghian recruits who came in at one position and starred in another. Mahalic enrolled in 1971 as a quarterback but became a productive three-year starter at linebacker.
He recorded 253 tackles and four interceptions during his career while playing in the shadow of second-round pick and 1973-74 leading tackler Greg Collins. Mahalic also snared a fumble in mid-air in the 1973 national title showdown with Alabama, setting up Eric Penick’s 12-yard touchdown run on the next play.
There have been no Notre Dame All-Americans yet who have worn No. 45 (take note, Darius Fleming), but Mahalic’s career earns him the top spot.
Second Team: Eric Patton (1969-71)
The starting strong side linebacker, plus defensive signalcaller, for the 1970-71 defenses that held 14 of its 20 regular-season opponents to seven or fewer points. He recorded 164 stops in those two seasons.
From the same California high school powerhouse as 1964 Heisman winner John Huarte (Mater Dei), Patton’s best game may have come against No. 1 Texas when he made 12 tackles (six solo) in the 24-11 victory over the Longhorns in the 1971 Cotton Bowl.
Third Team: Devon McDonald (1989-92)
A four-year regular after redshirting for the 1988 national champs, the outside linebacker/rush end started 29 games in his career, including 23 straight his last two seasons.
He finished with 179 tackles, 15.3 for lost yardage, and came to the forefront in the second half of his senior year when the Irish won their last seven games, the last four against ranked teams. Somewhat raw at the beginning of his career, McDonald developed into a fourth-round NFL pick.
Honorable mention: One could make a strong case that the most famous No. 45 at Notre Dame is Dan “Rudy” Ruettiger (1975). Not many college football players have had a Hollywood movie made about them.
Joey Goodspeed (1996-99) is the last Notre Dame fullback to rush for more than 100 yards in a game (109 in a 28-9 victory at Arizona State in 1998), and he also played four years in the NFL.
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