Four Notre Dame Alumni Earn Starting Nods In Pro Bowl
For the sixth consecutive year in as many football seasons, former Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin made the NFL Pro Bowl as the right guard for the Dallas Cowboys.
Martin started all four seasons and 52 games, a school record, with the Fighting Irish from 2010-13.
Meanwhile, former Fighting Irish safety Harrison Smith (2007-11) achieved the Pro Bowl distinction for the fifth straight season, while 2014-17 guard Quenton Nelson has been in the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons.
Here are the Top 5 Notre Dame alumni to be honored since the first Pro Bowl game, which was played on Jan. 14, 1951:
1. Alan Page & Tim Brown — 9
Also named the NFL MVP in 1971, Page starred for the Minnesota Vikings (1967-78) and then the Chicago Bears (1978-81) for 15 years before his distinguished career as a Supreme Court justice in Minnesota.
The 1987 Heisman Trophy winner, Brown was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, the same year as Bettis.
3. Joe Montana & George Kunz — 8
A third-round selection in 1979, "Super Joe" was 4-0 in his Super Bowl appearances during the 1980s with the San Francisco 49ers, never throwing an interception in those contests and three times earning MVP notice. He retired after the 1994 campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Offensive tackle Kunz was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1969 NFL Draft, behind Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson, and showed why during a 12-year NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons (1969-74) and Baltimore Colts (1975-80). He is not yet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
5. Dave Casper — 7
A tri-captain for the 1973 national champions, he was actually only the No. 5 tight end selected (second round) in the 1974 NFL Draft, but was a mainstay for the Oakland Raiders (1974-80) and eventually retired following the 1984 campaign.
Like Page and Brown, he is in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Page was named first-team All-Pro six times, also the most among Notre Dame alumni. Casper is second with four, while Montana and Martin have three apiece.
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