Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 54 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.
Today, with 54 days remaining until kickoff, we take a look back at the 1954 NFL Draft when three Notre Dame players were taken in the first nine selections.
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Just three days before legendary Notre Dame head football head Frank Leahy resigned from his position, the Irish posted one of the most impressive first-round NFL Draft classes in history.
On January 28, 1954, the NFL hosted the draft at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. The Cleveland Browns kicked off the selections with a lottery bonus pick, choosing Stanford quarterback Bobby Garrett. Quarterback Lamar McHan out of Arkansas was selected next.
The first non-quarterback pick came from Notre Dame, as tackle Art Hunter was taken with the No. 3 overall pick by the Green Bay Packers. Hunter had played wide receiver in 1952 before switching to the offensive line in 1953.
Notre Dame fans didn’t need to wait much longer for a second selection in the 1954 draft, as halfback Johnny Lattner was taken No. 7 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lattner had just won Notre Dame’s fourth Heisman Trophy following a 1953 season during which he played numerous roles for the Irish. He rushed for 651 yards on 134 carries, caught 14 balls for 204 yards, and served as both a kick and punt returner. The star out of Chicago also intercepted four passes. That year, Lattner broke the Notre Dame all-purpose yardage record, which stood until 1979.
Both Hunter and Lattner went on to be Pro Bowl selections at the next level.
Finally, fullback Neil Worden was selected just two picks later in the 1954 NFL Draft at No. 9 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles. Over 10 games in 1954, Worden carried the ball 145 times for 859 yards. He finished his Irish career with 2,039 rushing yards and 199 receiving yards.
In total, Notre Dame had 12 players taken in the 1954 draft, although at that point there were 30 rounds and 360 total selections. The only other times three or more Irish players were taken in the top 10 were in 1946 and 1955. Between Leahy’s departure on January 31, 1954 and the three first-round selections in the NFL Draft, it was an offseason to remember for Notre Dame.
