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3 unusual facts about Knute Rockne, All American|


1917 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Among the Notre Dame players present was future College Football Hall of Fame inductee George Gipp (of "Win one for the Gipper" fame), who in this case was handed his first career loss at Notre Dame as Nebraska moved ahead in the series to 2-1.

1920 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Knute Rockne's team that year included quarterback Joe Brandy and the legendary George Gipp (of "Win one for the Gipper" fame), and Nebraska clearly had their work cut out for them.

Harry Stuhldreher

Stuhldreher wrote two books, "Quarterback Play" and "Knute Rockne, Man Builder." The latter was a source for the movie Knute Rockne, All American, starring Ronald Reagan as George Gipp.


1983–84 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team

The team was led by All American and Big Eight Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year Wayman Tisdale.

Al Wilson

He was an All American performer at Jackson Central-Merry High School in Jackson, as named by BlueChip Illustrated, Max Emfinger, SuperPrep and Tom Lemming.

All American Ensign

Due to the glut of military surplus aircraft on the civil market after the war, All American was unable to attract buyers and no production ensued.

Armando Hinojosa

Other HInojosa sculptures are the Juan Seguin monument at Seguin Central Park in Seguin, Texas, the Knute Rockne and Ara Parseghian statues at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, and the life-size "Among Friends There Are No Borders" statue at Laredo International Airport, which depicts a South Texas vaquero and a Mexican charro sharing a campfire.

Atlantic Aircraft

Fokker Aircraft Company of America became a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation which acquired a 40 percent holding in May 1929, but ended operations the following year as a combination of the effect of the Great Depression and bad publicity surrounding the crash of a Fokker F.10 that killed celebrated football coach Knute Rockne (TWA Flight 599).

Bazaar, Kansas

On March 31, 1931, Trans World Airlines TWA Flight 599 crashed a few miles southwest of Bazaar, killing all onboard including University of Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne.

Bengal Bouts

Begun in 1920 by legendary football coach Knute Rockne to condition football players in the offseason, the tournament later expanded entry to any member of the student body.

Dallas Ward

After graduation from Oregon State, Ward taught in Minneapolis and became head coach at Marshall High in 1928, helped with a letter of recommendation written by Knute Rockne.

Dave Twardzik

Twardzik grew up in Middletown, Pennsylvania, and played collegiately at Old Dominion University, where he was a two-time All American and led the Monarchs to the 1971 NCAA Division II title game.

Division 1-A Rugby

This is still one of the most fundamental differences between Rugby Union and American Football but one further modification, that of allowing one forward pass per down, was suggested by the Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne which, when accepted in 1905, gave rise to that distinctly American form of football.

Fokker F.10

On March 31, 1931, TWA Flight 599 crashed near Bazaar, Kansas after a wing separated in flight, killing all eight on board, including football coach Knute Rockne.

Fokker F.VII

However, the popularity of the Fokker quickly came to an end after the 1931 death of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne in the crash of TWA Flight 599, a Fokker F.10.

Fort Wayne Friars

However by 1913, as was the custom in those days, Fort Wayne would on occasion employ a "ringer” or two who usually turned out to be a current star college player. Knute Rockne played for the Friars in 1913 under the alias, "Jones".

Gus Dorais

During the summer of 1913, Dorais and his Notre Dame teammate Knute Rockne worked as lifeguards and busboys at Cedar Point Resort at Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio.

Julius Nieuwland

Among Nieuwland's more famous students was Knute Rockne, who became a celebrated Notre Dame football coach.

Kenneth Ferrie

He attended Midland College in Texas, United States, where he was a two time NJCAA All American.

Lindley Bothwell

The spirit with which he led the student section of OAC reached many people, including Notre Dame's head football coach Knute Rockne.

Lloyd Bacon

Bacon attended Santa Clara University, and would later include highlights from the Bronco Football program in the end of his famous film, Knute Rockne, All American.

Mary Garber

While other girls swooned over movie stars, Garber, a huge Knute Rockne fan, wrote letters to Notre Dame football players.

Notre Dame Leprechaun

The first, named Brick Top Shuan-Rhu, was donated by Charles Otis of Cleveland and presented to football head coach Knute Rockne the weekend of the Notre Dame-Pennsylvania game November 8, 1930.

Notre Dame–Stanford football rivalry

The series began on January 1, 1925 (the end of the 1924 season) when Notre Dame's Four Horsemen and head coach Knute Rockne faced Stanford's Ernie Nevers and head coach Pop Warner at the 1925 Rose Bowl.

Ralph Craig

Immediately after the Olympics, Ralph Craig retired from the sport, although his brother, Jimmy, became an All American footballer in 1913.

Ray Hanson

Hanson officially began his coaching career at Western after studying under Knute Rockne (hence the nickname "Rock").

Red Edwards

After graduating from Weston High School in Weston, West Virginia, Edwards would play quarterback for Knute Rockne at the University of Notre Dame.

Stuart, Iowa

Buck Shaw - offensive tackle who blocked for George Gipp on Knute Rockne's first undefeated University of Notre Dame football team, the first football head coach at the United States Air Force Academy, the Philadelphia Eagles head coach who won 1960 NFL Championship, and the only coach to have beaten Vince Lombardi in the playoffs.

Vic Piano

College Bowl games such as the Fiesta, Bluebonnet, Hall of Fame, Peach, Liberty, Freedom, Cherry, Garden State, Tangerine, Holiday, California, All American, Blue Gray, East West Shrine and Senior Bowls were all televised by Mizlou.


see also