Notre Dame Freshman Safeties: Best Numbers
The 27 Notre Dame scholarship freshmen were issued their jersey numbers as they begin summer school last Monday (June 18).
While the numbers are subject to change, we look at who some of the best were to don the ones issued to them. Today we feature and conclude our series with the three safeties, which feature two of the most famous and statistically productive numbers, particularly at quarterback, in school history:
Houston Griffith: No. 3
Best To Wear Number at Notre Dame: Joe Montana (1974-78)
This number has had plenty of Notre Dame luminaries, especially at quarterback, but Montana is football royalty while directing a national title in 1977 and later four Super Bowl wins.
Three other Irish QBs who wore 3 were drafted by the NFL among the first three picks: George Izo and Rick Mirer No. 2 in 1960 and 1993, respectively, and Ralph Guglielmi (No. 3 in 1955). Also, Daryle Lamonica (1960-62) enjoyed an outstanding career in the AFL and NFL as “The Mad Bomber” for the Oakland Raiders.
Meanwhile, Coley O’Brien (1966-68) helped finish the 1966 national title run by rallying the Irish from a 10-0 deficit at No. 2 Michigan State when Terry Hanratty was injured, and then O'Brien shredded Pac 8 champion USC’s defense the following week in a 51-0 rout.
Ron Powlus (1994-97) was a four-year starter who held most of the career passing records at the school by the time he graduated.
Best Safety To Wear No. 3: Ralph Guglielmi (1951-54)
Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001, the late Guglielmi was 26-3-1 (.883) as Notre Dame’s quarterback under Frank Leahy and Terry Brennan. What is less known is in 1953 and 1954 he also paced the Irish in interceptions with five in both years. In the days of two-way football, the quarterbacks usually also were the lone safety on defense.
Honorable Mention: Michael Floyd (2008-11) & Darius Walker (2004-06)
First-round pick Floyd never played on a Notre Dame team that had less than five losses, but his 271 receptions, 3,686 receiving yards and 37 touchdwons are all easily Irish records. No other Irish receiver has more than 181 career catches.
Walker rushed for 3,249 yards in his career to rank among the top five at the school and also caught 109 passes, the most among Irish running backs.
Kicker Harry Oliver (1978-81) was a vital component during Notre Dame’s 9-0-1 start in 1980. He drilled 18 of his 23 field-goal attempts that season, highlighted by the 51-yard game-winner as time expired against that year’s Rose Bowl champion, Michigan.
Cornerback Cole Luke (2013-16) had a stellar sophomore year and, despite getting undrafted, made an NFL roster.
Derrik Allen: No. 7
Best To Wear Number at Notre Dame: John Huarte (1962-64) & Joe Theismann (1968-70)
Huarte won the Heisman Trophy as a senior while Theismann was the runner-up as a senior. Both led the Irish to 9-0 regular season marks before heart-wrenching regular-season ending losses at USC. Theismann bounced back with a strong performance in the 1971 Cotton Bowl win (24-11) over No. 1 Texas, snapping the Longhorns’ 30-game winning streak. He later would guide a Super Bowl win and be NFL MVP.
Best Safety To Wear No. 7: Joe Restic (1975-78)
Several Notre Dame players have been the team punter all four years, as Restic was, but the free safety also is the lone figure in the program’s annals to lead the team in interceptions three different years, highlighted by six during the run to the 1977 national title.
A two-time Academic All-American who became an orthodontist, Restic grew up in a football culture because his father enjoyed a successful stint as head coach at Harvard from 1971-93. The popular response to why he selected Notre Dame over playing for his father was he didn’t want to go to a school that was known as a football factory.
Honorable Mention: Steve Beuerlein (1983-86), Jarious Jackson (1995-99), Jimmy Clausen (2007-09), Stephon Tuitt (2011-13) & Will Fuller (2013-15)
Timing is everything. Whereas Huarte’s college career was made by Ara Parseghian and backfield coach Tom Pagna, Beuerlein, Jackson and Clausen were record-setting passers who played mainly in down cycles.
Beuerlein did benefit from his one season of tutelage under Lou Holtz by passing for 2,211 yards during a 5-6 campaign in 1986 prior to playing more than 15 years in the NFL. Jackson was magnificent individually during a 5-7 finish in 1999, with his 2,753 yards breaking Theismann’s 29-year standard.
After taking many lumps his first two seasons, Clausen broke the school's pass efficiency rating in one season that was held for 60 years, prior to turning pro after his junior year and getting drafted in the second round. Like Beuerlein and with Jackson, timing, timing and timing was everything while Clausen was 16-18 as a starter with the Irish.
Tuitt had a fantastic All-Anerican sophomore campaign along the defensive line for the 12-1 team in 2012 and became a second-round pick the next season as a junior.
Fuller is one of the greatest game-breaking wideouts ever to line up for the Irish, earning him a first-round selection following his junior season.
Defensively, top figures included cornerback Tim Rudnick (1971-73) and outside linebacker Andre Jones (1987-90). A former walk-on, Rudnick started his last two seasons and excelled for the 1973 national champs. Jones was a part-time starter for the 1988 national champs, and held full-time duties his last two seasons.
Yet another quarterback, Carlyle Holiday (2001-04), started for the 10-3 team in 2002 before shifting to receiver later in his career and playing in the NFL.
Current starting quarterback, senior Brandon Wimbush, has a chance to etch himself among the most prominent 7s to play for the Irish.
Paul Moala: No. 13
Best To Wear Number at Notre Dame: Tom Carter (1990-92)
A third-team All-America cornerback in 1992, he joined classmate Jerome Bettis by putting his name into the NFL Draft after his junior season. Carter was chosen in the first round as the No. 17 overall selection and played nine seasons in the pros. He picked off five passes in each of his last two seasons with the Irish, and also broke up a team-high four passes in the 39-28 win over No. 3 Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
Best Safety To Wear No. 13: Carter & Pat Eilers (1987-89)
Before shifting to cornerback as a sophomore, Carter lined up at free safety his freshman season, where he made a couple of starts and was credited with 19 stops.
Likewise, prior to Eilers transitioning to flanker in 1988-89, where he was a starter, he worked at strong safety with George Streeter in 1987 and was credited with 21 tackles (two for loss, including a sack) and a pass broken up. He also played six seasons in the NFL at safety and on special teams.
Honorable Mention: Bert Berry (1993-96)
Defensive end/outside linebacker was a third-round draft selection after recording 10 sacks as a senior, and he played more than a decade in the NFL.
Whether it is superstition or not, we have found a low number of scholarship players who donned No. 13, although two kickers — Dave Reeve (1974-77) and Nicholas Setta (2000-03) — both had good careers with it. Reeve actually wore No. 3 as a freshman before the number was issued to classmate Montana the following year.
This year Moala will share the jersey with classnate/receiver Lawrence Keys.
Meanwhile, Griffith also wear the same numbers as sophomore athlete/quarterback Avery Davis, and Allen will share No. 7 with Wimbush.
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