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Notre Dame

Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is 16 days away

IMG_9992by: Tyler Horka08/18/22tbhorka
notre dame johnny lujack
Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack scores in a 22-7 victory over Purdue in 1947. (Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)

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 16 days remaining until kickoff, we revisit all 16 of Notre Dame’s NFL Draft picks in 1946.

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Notre Dame is all over the record books in a variety of categories. The Fighting Irish don’t have the all-time record for NFL Draft picks in a single season, but they’re darn close. Notre Dame had 16 selections in the 1946 draft, one shy of Texas’ all-time mark of 17 in 1984.

Many of the Irish players who were picked in 1946 were a part of the Notre Dame team that won the program’s first national title under head coach Frank Leahy in 1943. It was the Irish’s first championship without Knute Rockne at the helm.

Many of the draftees followed Leahy to serve in World War II, too. That included Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Lujack, who went to the Chicago Bears with the No. 4 overall selection. Notre Dame also boasted the No. 1 overall pick in the entire draft; quarterback Frank Dancewicz went to the Boston Yanks.

Dancewicz was Notre Dame’s second ever first overall pick; quarterback Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame’s first ever Heisman Trophy winner, went first overall in 1944. Leon Hart (1950), Paul Hornung (1957) and Walt Patulski (1972) are the only other No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks in Fighting Irish history.

The draft had not been cut down to its current size of seven rounds, but the 16 picks still weren’t anything to scoff at. Only one school ever did better before the downsizing of the draft, after all.

Here are all 16 Notre Dame draft picks in 1946.

RoundPickOverallPlayerPositionTeam
111Frank DancewiczQBBoston Yanks
144Johnny LujackQBChicago Bears
155George ConnorLBNew York Giants
11010Emil SitkoBLos Angeles Rams
3116Elmer AngsmanBChicago Cardinals
7252Ed MieszkowskiTBoston Yanks
7858Pete BerezneyTDetroit Lions
9979Bob SkoglundEWashington Redskins
101090Joe SignaigoCLos Angeles Rams
1310120George StrohmeyerCLos Angeles Rams
1410130Bob PalladinoBLos Angeles Rams
151131Fred RovaiGChicago Cardinals
1710160Gasper UrbanGLos Angeles Rams
1910180Jerry FordELos Angeles Rams
201181Bill HeywoodBChicago Cardinals
202182Frank RuggerioBBoston Yanks

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