7/25/2023 football Edit

Legendary Notre Dame football QB Johnny Lujack dies at 98

Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack, left, receives the Heisman Trophy from Wilbur Jurden, president of the Downtown Athletic Club in New York, Dec. 10, 1947. Lujack, who led Notre Dame to three national championships in the 1940s, died Tuesday at the age of 98. (AP Photo/Jacob Harris)

Tyler James • InsideNDSports

Publisher

Covering Notre Dame football, recruiting and other Irish sports. Email: tjames@insidendsports.com

Johnny Lujack, a Heisman Trophy winner, two-time unanimous All-American and three-time national champion as a quarterback at Notre Dame, died Tuesday in Naples, Florida, at the age of 98.

Amy Schiller, Lujack's granddaughter, told The Associated Press that Lujack had been in good health as recently as a couple weeks ago. He then entered hospice care with an illness that preceded his death.

Lujack is survived by his wife of 74 years, Patricia Ann "Pat," and their children Mary and Jeff. Pat and Johnny's daughter Carol died in 2002.

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Mary Lujack, right, holds a microphone for her father, Johnny Lujack, winner of the 1947 Heisman Trophy at Sarasota, Florida's The Founder's Club in 2022. (Mike Lang/USA Today Network)

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Lujack, a native of Connellsville, Pa., belongs at or near the top of the list of greatest quarterbacks in Notre Dame football history. As a sophomore in 1943, Lujack started the last four games for the eventual national champions with a 3-1 record and victories over three top 10 teams. He was put into the starting lineup when Angelo Bertelli was called into Marine Corps. service during World War II.

Lujack missed the next two seasons at Notre Dame while serving in the Navy. He returned to lead Notre Dame to national championships again in 1946 and 1947 without losing a game in those two seasons. Lujack's .932 winning percentage (20-1-1) as a starting quarterback under head coach Frank Leahy remains at Notre Dame program record.

Then-No. 2 Notre Dame's undefeated record in 1946 remained intact in 1946 when Lujack, who also played defensive back, made a game-saving tackle of No. 1 Army's Doc Blanchard. Neither team was able to score in the 0-0 tie after Lujack prevented Blanchard from scoring in Yankee Stadium.

A senior season in which Lujack completed 61 of his 109 pass attempts (56%) for 777 yards and nine touchdowns earned him the Heisman Trophy in 1947.

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The Chicago Bears selected Lujack with the No. 4 overall pick in the 1948 NFL Draft. He played four seasons with the Bears and was selected as a Pro Bowl participant twice (1950-51) and a First Team All-Pro once (1950).

Lujack returned to Notre Dame to be an assistant coach for Leahy's final two seasons as head coach (1952-53). Lujack later moved to Davenport, Iowa, and owned an auto dealership until 1988.

Lujack was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960. He was the oldest-living Heisman winner prior to his death.

Notre Dame football coach Frank Leahy, left, and Johnny Lujack, right, are shown in the locker room after the Fighting Irish's 20-0 victory over Army in New York, Nov. 6, 1943. (AP Photo/Harry Harris)

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