The top ten Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive players – VIDEOS & POLL

QB Paul Hornung tops the list of Notre Dame’s elite offensive players

This list was very difficult in composing as many a great college football and NFL star from Notre Dame were excluded. It easily could have been expanded to the top 20 or 30 players. The selection was based solely on players’ Fighting Irish resumes and not their professional ones.

I now humbly present to you the top ten Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive layers of All-Time.

1.    Paul Hornung (QB) (1954-1956)

The “Golden Bear” played for Notre Dame for three seasons from 1954-1956. He was extremely versatile as he also served a fullback. From 1955-56 Hornung was selected as an All-American. He won the Heisman trophy in 1956 in a year which saw him place second in the nation in total offense, second in kickoff returns, 15th in passing and 16th in scoring. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985 and Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986. Each year the Paul Hornung award is given to the most versatile player in college football.

2.    Wayne Milner (End) (1933-1935)

Milner is remembered for two memorable plays in his Notre Dame career. Against an unbeaten Army squad in 1933 Milner blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown to give The Fighting Irish a 13-12 win. He also appeared in what was widely considered the game of the century against Ohio State in 1935 in a battle of the unbeatens. In the final seconds of the game Milner caught TD pass to seal a 18-13 win for Notre Dame. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 and the enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990. He was such a popular and well-liked player that the whole Washington Redskins organization attended Milner’s funeral in 1976.

3.    Johnny Lujack (QB) (1943, 1946-47)

Lujack was an incredible athlete lettering in basketball, baseball, track and football in 1943-1944 season. He was the first to do so at Notre Dame since 1912. He wasn’t too shabby at QB either especially from 1946-1947. Over that span he led the team to two national championships and a 17-0-1 record and garnered two All-American honors and a Heisman trophy along the way. Lujack also starred at defensive halfback. He became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960.

4.    George Gipp (Halfback) (1917-1920)

Besides being an inspiration for Knute Rockne’s uplifting speech to his team on Nov. 10, 1928 and people everywhere forever enshrined in the phrase “Win one for the Gipper!” Lets not forget the Gipper was a terrific player. He played on two consecutive undefeated Fighting Irish teams in his final seasons. For his career the Gipper tallied 2,341 rushing yards (a record that stood for 50 years) and 1,769 passing yards. He scored 156 points as well. The Gipper was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.

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