Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is 32 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 32 days until kickoff, it’s time to revisit the career of College Football Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Lujack, who wore No. 32 for the Irish from 1942-1943 and from 1946-47.

In the span of a few years, Johnny Lujack went from starting as Notre Dame’s quarterback to hunting German submarines in the English Channel as an ensign in the United States Navy during World War II to winning the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame in 1947.

Some dudes are just built different. Lujack, 97, is one of those dudes.

The youngest of four sons and the fifth child in a family of six kids, Lujack wowed the residents of Connellsville, Penn., as a letter-winner in football, baseball, basketball and track. The people of Connellsville wanted Lujack to play football for the U.S. Military Academy (Army), but he had his heart set on Notre Dame from listening to radio broadcasts of Fighting Irish games.

Lujack arrived at Notre Dame at just the right time. New Irish head coach Frank Leahy ditched the “Rockne Shift” for the “T” formation, which was exploding in popularity. The Rockne Shift, named after legendary Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne, relied heavily on fullbacks and running backs. The quarterback was the most important piece of the T.

Quarterback Angelo Bertelli ran the T to a tee in 1943. But after the Irish started 6-0 with wins over two top-five opponents, No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Navy, Bertelli was shipped off to Parris Island with the Marines. He wasn’t able to finish the season with his Irish teammates.

“It was a terrible feeling on that train,” Bertelli said according to “Talking Irish: The Oral History of Notre Dame Football.” “It was raining. It was cold. I was leaving a college campus for a boot camp.”

Enter Lujack, a sophomore.

Legend has it Leahy could spot Lujack among the “cannon fodder,” a common term for the practice squad, in the first week of practice in his freshman summer. That wasn’t normal. Head coaches didn’t distract themselves with the practice squad in that era. Lujack was different. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in a 26-0 victory over Army in the first start of his career.

Leahy took his 8-0 Irish to the Notre Dame cemetery to say a prayer over Rockne’s grave before a national championship-deciding game against No. 2 Iowa Pre-Flight. Lujack finished his prayer quickly and toured the cemetery. He wanted to elicit some luck from the memories of the players who made the Notre Dame football program what it was.

“Now, I don’t know what happened in that cemetery. I never heard any voices,” Lujack said. “But we beat Iowa Pre-Flight 14-13, and their extra point hit the upright.”

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Bertelli won the Heisman in 1943 to become the first Irish player to do so. Leahy won the first of his four national titles at Notre Dame. But then he joined the Navy prior to the 1944 season, and his quarterback, Lujack, did too. The pair did not return to Notre Dame together until 1946. The picked up where they left off.

Notre Dame won back-to-back national championships in 1946-47 with Lujack behind center. In 1947, he took home the Heisman while going 61-of-109 through the air for 777 yards with nine touchdown passes. He ran 12 times for 139 yards. He also intercepted three passes as a defensive back. The numbers weren’t gaudy, but the way Lujack played had the attention of national media, opposing coaches and players and his Notre Dame teammates.

“People talk about Joe Montana. He has those championship rings from the NFL. He and Bill Walsh had a lot of success together in San Francisco. But Montana, very frankly, couldn’t carry Johnny Lujack’s shoes,” said Bill Fischer, a former Irish offensive lineman.

“He’s probably the greatest all-around athlete I’ve ever seen in college football,” said Frank Tripucka, Lujack’s backup QB.

The Chicago Bears selected Lujack with the No. 4 overall pick in the 1946 NFL Draft. He threw 41 touchdowns in 45 games over the course of four seasons. Lujack spent time as an assistant on Leahy’s staff in his post-playing career. He also worked in the car dealership business and as a color commentator for NFL and college football games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960. He’s the oldest living Heisman Trophy winner.

Lujack went 20-1-1 as a starter and won three national championships.

“I didn’t know until after I graduated what my stats were,” Lujack said. “I didn’t know my punting average. I didn’t know if I threw for 50 percent. But I knew we won ’em all at Notre Dame.”