Who are the 10 best Notre Dame players of all time?

In college football, there are many successful programs throughout the long history of the sport. However, there are a few programs that are considered the pillars of sports. Notre Dame is one of those schools. The Fighting Irish have a long and storied history made up of many Pro and College Football Hall of Famers, some dating back 70-plus years and others more recent.

Everyone knows Joe Montana, Tim Brown, Joe Theismann, Brady Quinn, Jerome Bettis and Manti Te’o, but who are the best at a school with the rich tradition of Notre Dame?

Here are the 10 best Notre Dame players of all time, courtesy of FOX Sports Research.

Our list was determined using a player’s accomplishments at Notre Dame but was also included The NFL success to some extent.

10. WR Raghib Ismail (1988-1990)

Ismail was – and still is – considered one of the most exciting players in college football history. Nicknamed “Rocket”, Ismail helped lead Notre Dame to an undefeated 1988 season and is one of two ND players to amass more than 1,000 rushing yards in a career.

One of his biggest claims to fame is that he remains the only player in history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in two games (1988 and 1989).

Ismail finished second in the 1990 Heisman Trophy voting before eventually leading the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League to the Gray Cup title in 1991. He later suited up for the Raiders, Panthers and Cowboys during his NFL career. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

9. DT Bryant Young (1990-1993)

A future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Young dominated the college ranks before doing so at the professional level. Young was named an All-American his senior season in 1993, posting 6.5 sacks and 67 tackles. In his four years, he helped lead the team to a 40-8 record, along with two Cotton Bowl wins and one Sugar Bowl win.

In the NFL, it was much the same for Young, who averaged 89.5 sacks and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1990s.

8. OL George Connor (1946-1947)

Connor was a monster in the running game, paving the way for legends like Emil Sitko and Terry Brennan. Most impressively, however, he never lost a game in his 18 games with the Fighting Irish, going 17-0-1, with one tie coming against Army in 1946.

Connor was so highly regarded that a 1962 panel of 400 sportswriters decided he was one of Notre Dame’s 11 best players – and gave him the most votes of any player in the program (tied with Leon Hart) with 340 votes. In 1946, Connor became the first recipient of the Outland Trophy, the nation’s award for best inside linebacker.

He would later play eight seasons with the Bears and become an NFL All-Pro.

7. QB Joe Theismann (1968-1970)

One of the most famous quarterbacks in NFL history due to his unfortunate injuries, Theismann was a legend at Notre Dame before going on a career. In 1969, his first year as a full-time starter, Theismann helped Notre Dame to fifth in the nation and nearly pulled off an upset against eventual national champion Texas.

During his tenure with the Fighting Irish, he compiled a 20-3-2 record, setting school records at the time for passing yards in a game (526), ​​yards in a season (2,429) and touchdowns in a season (16).

After moving on, he would play 15 NFL seasons, winning the Super Bowl with Washington in 1982 and winning the league’s MVP in 1983. In 1985, he suffered a serious knee injury that changed his career over time.

6. RB Jerome Bettis (1990-1992)

“The Bus,” as he was known, finished his career just shy of 2,000 rushing yards (1,912 yards to be exact) and averaged over 5.5 yards per carry for his career. In his sophomore year, Bettis had a nose for the tight end, accumulating a then-school record 20 touchdowns. Including the Sugar Bowl, he scored 23 touchdowns, a record that still stands today.

Deciding not to take another pit stop, “The Bus” decided to forego his senior season and enter the 1993 NFL Draft. He would play 13 professional seasons, amassing over 13,000 rushing yards, a Super Bowl title in his final season and eventually a gold jacket and induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

5. TE Dave Casper (1971-1973)

Nicknamed “The Ghost”, Casper began his wrestling career and earned honorable mention as an All-American in 1972. In 1973, he switched to tight end and helped lead the team to a national title as the Fighting Irish’s Offensive MVP. and consensus All-American.

In 1974, he was taken in the second round of the NFL Draft and would eventually play for the Raiders, Oilers and Vikings, collecting 52 touchdowns in his career. In 2002, he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

4. DT Alan Page (1964-1966)

Page was a force on Notre Dame’s defensive unit that struck fear into opposing offenses. During his career, he started all 29 games he played in, helping the team get 12 shutouts and allowing less than seven points per game. In his final season, the offensive tackle collected 66 tackles and finished with a 51-0 shutout against USC at the Coliseum.

In the NFL, Page would become a Pro Bowler, All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year, MVP and Super Bowl, eventually finding a place in Canton.

3. QB Paul Hornung (1954-1956)

In Hornung’s first two seasons, the QB helped lead the Fighting Irish to a 17-3 record before the team slipped in his final season, finishing 2-8. In those first two years, he was an All-American each time, finishing fifth in the Heisman voting the final season.

Despite the team’s struggles in 1956, Hornung really did it all. He ranked second in total offense nationally, 15th in passing and 16th in scoring. That eventually led to him becoming the first player on a losing team to win the Heisman.

In the NFL, he would eventually land in Green Bay, where he was a halfback and placekicker for nine years.

2. WR Tim Brown (1984-1987)

The second wide receiver to receive the Heisman, Brown would set 19 school records in his career, eventually earning him the nickname “Touchdown Timmy.” He would become a two-time All-American in his final two seasons, compiling 1,756 receiving yards to go with eight touchdowns and five combined touchdowns.

After winning the Heisman in 1987, Brown was selected sixth overall in the subsequent NFL Draft. He would eventually be named to nine Pro Bowls and hold an NFL record for 75 receptions in 10 straight seasons, which led to him being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

1. QB Joe Montana (1974-1978)

Montana is best known for his professional career, but his college career at Notre Dame was special in its own right. He played in a total of 27 games, throwing for over 4,000 yards to pair with 25 touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns.

Despite his success in college, Montana didn’t make a splash with scouts due to the old recruiting process and ended up slipping to the end of the third round, where he was selected by the 49ers. From there, Montana led the team to four Super Bowls, nine division crowns and passed for over 40,000 yards in his career. Most of his Super Bowl records still stand today.

RESPECTED

• Manti Te’o
• Zack Martin
• Ross Browner
• Wayne Miller
• Nick Buoniconti
• George Gipp
• Quenton Nelson
• Ricky Watters
• Harrison Smith
• Brady Quinn
• Autry Denson
• Allen Pinkett
• Michael Floyd
• Isaiah Foskey
• Bill Fischer
• Justin Tuck

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