Irish Echoes: Notre Dame football’s All-Chicagoland offense
In anticipation of Notre Dame’s showdown with Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago Sept. 25, we continue our look at the many links between Chicagoland and the Fighting Irish down through the years.
Here are our picks for an all-time Chicagoland Notre Dame offensive lineup. (Keep in mind that many early stars were from the one-platoon era, and could show up on the all-time defense, which we’ll reveal in next week’s column). Players are from Chicago, unless otherwise noted.
Ends
Knute Rockne, 1910-13 • 5-8, 165 • Northwest Division H.S.
Let’s start with the man himself. As a senior captain at Notre Dame in 1913, he developed pass routes with quarterback Gus Dorais, shocked Army, 35-13, and helped create modern football.
Even as a player, he was already dreaming up ways the game could feature smaller, quicker players. Rockne received All-American mention that season en route to a Hall of Fame coaching career.
Backup: Miles Boykin, 2015-18 • 6-4, 220 • Tinley Park, Providence Catholic H.S.
Roger Kiley, 1919-21 • 6-0, 180 • St. Philip H.S.
Considered one of the game’s first great pass receivers, he snared aerials from George Gipp on teams that went 28-1-0. A two-time first-team All-American. Went on to a distinguished career in law and politics, serving as a Chicago alderman and a Cook County and Illinois Appellate Court judge.
Backup: Cole Kmet, 2017-19 • 6-6, 262 • Arlington Heights, St. Viator H.S.
Tackles
Ziggy Czarobski, 1942-43 and 1946-47 • 6-0, 213 • Mt. Carmel H.S.
In a college career interrupted by two years of military service, Czarobski won All-America honors helping the Irish to the 1947 national championship. He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1977) and the Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame (1984).
Backup: Edward “Moose” Krause, 1931-33 • 6-3, 217 • De La Salle Institute
Mirko Jurkovic, 1988-91 • 6-4, 281 • Calumet City, Thornton Fractional North H.S.
Jurkovic rose from being a backup on the 1988 national champs to gaining consensus All-American honors while leading the Irish line in 1991.
A charismatic figure, Mirko made teammates and everyone he met feel better. He lost a two-year battle with cancer in January 2013.
Backup: Ed Beinor, 1936-38 • 6-2, 207 • Harvey, Thornton Township H.S.
Guards
Bill Fischer, 1945-48 • 6-2, 226 • Lane Tech H.S.
One of the most dominant linemen of his era, Fischer earned consensus All-American honors in 1947 and 1948, and won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman in 1948. A three-time All-Pro with the Chicago Cardinals, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
Backup: Charlie Bachman, 1914-16 • 5-11, 187 • Englewood H.S.
Bert Metzger, 1928-30 • 5-9, 149 • Loyola Academy
Metzger became well-known as one of Rockne’s “watch charm guards,” who were seriously undersized but extremely quick and agile, and used wrestling-type moves to get the defender off-balance and out of the way. Metzger was an All-American for the 1930 national champs and eventual inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Backup: Tim Grunhard, 1986-89 • 6-3, 292 • St. Laurence H.S.
Center
George Trafton, 1919 • 6-2, 230 • Oak Park H.S.
A behemoth for his time at 230 pounds, Trafton teamed with George Gipp to lead the 1919 Irish to a 9-0 season and some of their first national acclaim. He then joined the Decatur Staleys for the inaugural season of the NFL. He would play 12 more seasons for the Staleys/Bears and earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and on the NFL’s all-1920s team.
Backup: Frank Rydzewski, 1915-17 • 6-1, 224 • St. Stanislaus H.S.
Quarterback
Tommy Rees, 2010-13 • 6-2, 215 • Lake Bluff, Lake Forest H.S.
Rees started four games for the Irish as a freshman in 2010, including an upset of USC and a 33-17 victory over Miami in the Sun Bowl. He started 12 games each in 2011 and 2013, and finished his career with 30 starts, completing 600 of 1,001 pass attempts for 7,351 yards, with 61 touchdowns against 37 interceptions. He became ND’s offensive coordinator in 2020 at the age of 28.
Backup: Tom Carey, 1951-54 • 5-10, 180 • Mt. Carmel H.S.
Halfbacks
Johnny Lattner, 1950-53 • 6-1, 195 • Oak Park, Fenwick H.S.
Lattner is one of the greatest stars in Notre Dame history and one of its seven Heisman Trophy winners. He nearly attended Michigan before heading to South Bend to play for Frank Leahy, who had won four national titles during the 1940s.
As a junior in 1952, Lattner led the Irish in rushing with 732 yards. In 1953, he did it all — No. 14 rushed for 651 yards (averaging 4.9 yards a carry) and scored nine touchdowns, caught 14 passes for 204 yards, had four interceptions and recorded two touchdowns on just 10 kickoff returns. He edged Minnesota’s Paul Giel in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Backup: Joe Pliska, 1911-14 • 5-10, 172 • Englewood H.S.
Andy Pilney, 1933-35 • 5-11, 175 • Harrison Tech H.S.
Pilney is best remembered for making several key plays in Notre Dame’s three-touchdown fourth-quarter comeback to upset top-ranked Ohio State 18-13 on Nov. 2, 1935 in the first contest called by sportswriters “The Game of The Century.” He would go on earn All-American honors that season.
Backup: Bob Kelly, 1943-44 • 5-10, 182 • Leo H.S.
Fullback
Mario “Motts” Tenelli, 1936-38 • 5-11, 188 • DePaul Academy
Tenelli is recognized as one of the toughest individuals ever to don a Notre Dame jersey, as evidenced by his survival of the infamous Bataan Death March in April 1942 in the Philippines when he was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army. Tonelli was the starting fullback for the 1938 Irish, who went 9-0-1, just missing a national championship with a season-ending loss at USC.
Backup: Robert Hughes, 2007-10 • 5-10, 257 • Hubbard H.S.
Kicker/punter
Nick Setta, 2000-03 • 6-0, 194 • Lockport, Lockport Township H.S.
In high school, Setta set the Illinois high school record for longest field goal at 59 yards. He was successful on 46 of 66 field goal attempts in his career with the Irish, ranking fourth all time in field goals made. Twice he kicked five field goals in a game, sharing the school record. He also connected on 104 of 105 career extra point attempts.
Next week: Defense.
Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jlefebvre@blueandgold.com.
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