Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 66 days away
To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.
This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.
With 66 days to go, today we examine one of the most legendary players in the history of Notre Dame football, George Gipp. The All-American and Hall of Famer wore the number from 1917-20.
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Gipp was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and went to Notre Dame in 1917 intending to play baseball. But he caught the eye of Irish head coach Knute Rockne, who wanted Gipp to join his football team despite a lack of experience on the gridiron.
Gipp obliged and technically played fullback. But the position title doesn’t even begin to sum up the various roles the 6-1, 180 pounder played in four seasons on the Notre Dame football team.
From 1918-20, Gipp led the Irish team in both rushing and passing yardage, and he finished his Notre Dame career with 2,341 rushing yards and 1,769 passing yards. The former number still ranks No. 10 all-time in program history.
Not unlike most players at the time, Gipp played defense and special teams as well, recording five interceptions and serving as the punter and return man for punts and kickoffs.
Death, Hollywood and presidential campaigns
The versatile player didn’t make it beyond his 25th year, as he passed away on Dec. 14, 1920 from pneumonia and strep throat. His early death came just two weeks after he was named Notre Dame’s first Walter Camp All-American.
According to Irish lore, Gipp uttered one of the most famous phrases in Notre Dame history on his death bed.
“I’ve got to go, Rock,” he told his head coach. “It’s all right. I’m not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they’ve got and win just one for the Gipper. I don’t know where I’ll be then, Rock. But I’ll know about it, and I’ll be happy.”
Rockne subsequently told Gipp’s comment to his team as a rallying point to upset a previously 6-0 Army team 12-6 at Yankee Stadium on Nov. 10, 1928. And thus “Win one for the Gipper” was born.
Gipp was always going to be a legend in the Notre Dame community, but his story garnered even more national attention in the coming decades. In 1940, “Knute Rockne, All-American” premiered, documenting the life of the famed head coach. The film included the famous storyline with Gipp, who was played by future United States president Ronald Reagan. The actor turned governor of California later used “Win one for the Gipper” as a slogan during his various campaigns, popularizing Gipp’s story one again in the 1980s.
