Notre Dame in the NFL: Eagles QB Ian Book will represent Irish in Super Bowl LVII
Ian Book left Notre Dame as the winningest quarterback in school history. He now has a chance to achieve the ultimate NFL win in just his second pro season.
Book and the Philadelphia Eagles will play in Super Bowl LVII Feb. 12 after they beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship Game Sunday. They’ll take on the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win the AFC crown.
Book has spent most of this season as the Eagles’ No. 3 quarterback, a role that has not afforded him any snaps this season. He has been a healthy scratch most weeks, but was elevated to the backup spot and in uniform when Eagles starter Jalen Hurts missed two December contests with a shoulder injury.
Notre Dame does not have a player on both sides of the Super Bowl this year and wouldn’t have no matter who won Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs do, though, have a former Domer on their staff. Andy Heck, an offensive tackle and team captain on the Irish’s 1988 national championship team, has been Kansas City’s offensive line coach since 2013. Heck and the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV in 2020, beating the 49ers.
The last former Notre Dame player to win a Super Bowl as an NFL player is Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Ben Skowronek, who did so just last season. That ended a four-year drought without an ex-Irish player being on a Super Bowl champion roster. Before Skowronek, wide receiver Michael Floyd (2008-11) won Super Bowl LI with the New England Patriots in 2017.
The Eagles’ win knocked two of Book’s former college teammates out of the playoffs. The 49ers have two offensive line starters who played at Notre Dame, right tackle Mike McGlinchey (2013-17) and left guard Aaron Banks (2017-20).
Book played at Notre Dame from 2016-20, posting a 30-5 record as a starter. He ranks second in program history in touchdown passes, with 72. He threw for 8,948 yards, 20 interceptions and averaged 7.8 yards per attempt. He completed 63.8 percent of his passes in his career. He added 1,517 career rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. He never lost a home start in his career.
The New Orleans Saints selected Book in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He made one start as a rookie, his only action that season. He completed 12 of 20 passes for 135 yards and 2 interceptions in a 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Saints waived him Aug. 30, and the Eagles claimed him one day later.
Here’s a recap of the former Notre Dame players’ performances on Championship Sunday and their regular season stats.
Aaron Banks, OG, San Francisco 49ers
This week: Started at left guard and allowed 1 sack and 6 pressures in the 49ers’ 31-7 loss to the Eagles, earning a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 27.7.
Regular season: 16 games (all starts), 1 sack and 25 pressures allowed, 62.7 PFF overall grade.
Postseason: Three games (all starts), 1 sack, 10 pressures allowed.
Ian Book, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
This week: Inactive for the Eagles’ 31-7 win over the 49ers.
Regular season: Did not appear in a game.
Postseason: Has not appeared in a game.
Mike McGlinchey, OT, San Francisco 49ers
This week: Started at right tackle and allowed 4 pressures in the 49ers’ 31-7 loss to the Eagles, earning a PFF overall grade of 50.6.
Regular season: 17 games (all starts), 6 sacks and 27 pressures allowed, 71.5 PFF overall grade.
Postseason: Three games (all starts), 0 sacks and 9 pressures allowed.
