The football played in the era of Johnny Lujack, Notre Dame's 1947 Heisman-winning quarterback, would be all but unrecognizable to many of today's college stars.

Passes were few and far between, advertising contracts with adidas and the like didn't exist, weight programs were a thing of the future, athletes commonly played both sides of the ball and Notre Dame did not participate in bowl games.

Although Notre Dame already had a storied tradition as a top football school, its reputation came strictly from regular-season play. Many of the other top modern-day programs, such as Nebraska, were as yet unknowns. The last time Notre Dame played a regular season series with Nebraska, in 1947-48, the Cornhuskers were not the title-laden team that they now are.

"It wasn't at the time important, because Nebraska wasn't as well-known then as they are now," Lujack said. "They didn't have the really good teams that they have now."

Lujack engineered a 31-0 shutout victory over Nebraska in `47 and a 27-7 win over archnemesis Army, as Notre Dame fought its way to a 9-0 season, immortalizing the team in college football lore.

Famed sportswriter Grantland Rice called the `47 Irish the best team ever, saying, "There no longer is any doubt as to the best team in college football, it happens to be Notre Dame. College football never before has known a team so big, so fast and so experienced."

Lujack completed 61 of 109 passes that season for 777 yards while also playing defensive back. Those statistics seem less impressive by today's pass-crazy standards, but won him the Heisman in `47.

Another big difference in football of the `40s was that most players took several years off from college to serve in World War II. Along with most other athletes of his time, Lujack took time out of his college career to serve in World War II. When he returned to Notre Dame nearly three years later, it was back to business as usual for the 6-foot-0 quarterback.

In 1946, Lujack became the starting quarterback and began the Irish on a 8-0-1 campaign that would be their first of three National Championships in a four-year period. The only blemish on Notre Dame's record was a 0-0 tie with top-ranked Army. Lujack kept that game from turning into a loss with his open-field tackle of Cadets fullback Doc Blanchard.

"That was supposed to be a highlight," Lujack said, "although I didn't think much of it at the time because that's what you're back there for — to tackle."

For Lujack, what gave Notre Dame the edge in the late `40s was their unity and focus on the team, elements he believes are lacking in today's game.

"I think it was the camaraderie that made us a good team," Lujack said. "We had meshed together very well because no one ever was after any individual awards. We were all for the team and winning was the most important thing."

Late Bloomer

One of the greatest football players ever to take the field for Notre Dame, 1947 Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Lujack, would never have been offered a scholarship today.

"I was not that terrific a high school player," Lujack said. "They asked me where I made All-State, and I said I never made All-State in Pennsylvania. For that reason, I don't know why [coach] Frank Leahy ever gave me a scholarship, but he did, and I've been indebted to him ever since."

Compared to his competition at the quarterback position early in his Notre Dame career, Lujack failed to measure up on accolades.

"My freshman year, there were four quarterbacks that were All-State and one that was All-New England," Lujack said. "I made All-County, and they found out later that we were the only high school in the county."

Playing for Notre Dame was a life-long fantasy for the Connellsville, Pa., native. He rejected an offer to attend the U.S. Military Academy in West Point so he could chase down the seemingly impossible dream of suiting up for the blue and gold.

"Notre Dame was a magical word for me," Lujack said. "I had an opportunity to go to West Point and many other schools, and I never ever considered any other possibility other than Notre Dame, but I wasn't sure that Notre Dame wanted me. Then when Coach Leahy offered me the scholarship, I just jumped at it because that was the culmination of dreams of a young kid."

Earning his chance

Even after making his way to South Bend on scholarship, the 17-year-old kid had a long way to go before becoming an All-American or even making the dress list for game day. Early in his freshman year, however, luck found Lujack.

"Where I first got the notice at Notre Dame was playing defense," Lujack said. "As a freshman, they called for a defensive team down to play against the varsity, and I happened to be one of the ones they pointed out haphazardly, because they didn't even know my name. So I made a few tackles against the varsity, and the next day, they asked my name to raise my hand and get down and scrimmage against the varsity. So that's how I really got my start there."

Leahy also used Lujack to take on the varsity in scrimmages on offense, either as a quarterback or tailback.

By Lujack's sophomore year, he'd garnered enough attention from the coaching staff to serve as the back-up quarterback to Angelo Bertelli, who won the Heisman Trophy that year and led the Irish to the 1943 National Championship. Lujack subbed in for Bertelli, as well as All-American running back Creighton Miller, both of whom are in the College Football Hall of Fame. Lujack got his next big break, to become the starting quarterback, when Bertelli left to fight in World War II.

One of his best-known feats that year came through another piece of good fortune.

"We played against the Iowa Seahawks, and I went up against an All-Pro end," Lujack said. "I went up to knock the pass down one-handed, and the ball actually stuck in my hand, so it was a one-handed interception, and it was written up as a great interception. But I went up to knock it down and it just stuck."

Lujack earned renown as one of the few Notre Dame students ever to letter in four sports — football, basketball, baseball and track.

"The reason I was able to play all four sports is I was in the service, so I didn't have to go out for spring practice," Lujack said. "My first baseball game I got two singles and a triple out of four times up. In between the innings, I won the high jump and javelin in track, so my roommate, being a very comical guy, said, `If you get dressed real quick, I know where there's a swimming meet.'"

Swimming never went down in the record books as another varsity letter for Lujack, but the Davenport, Iowa resident did enough during his four years at Notre Dame to remain one of the most-recognized names of Irish football players even today.

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