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Home , Bert Metzger, Frank Carideo, Hunk Anderson, Knute Rockne, Larry Mullins, Notre Dame Stadium

The Rockne Football by Dick O’Donnell

he Rockne football has been It is also the only known ball the prized possession of the signed by Rockne and the Notre O’Donnell family of Whit- Dame football squad of 1930, Ting, , since December 29, Rockne’s final season as a coach 1930. It is the only football known before he perished in a tragic air- to exist that was used in the dedi- plane crash in early 1931. cation game of Notre Dame Stadi- um on October 11, 1930. is, in the opinion of many, the greatest The ball is signed by legendary coach of all time. He compiled head coach Knute K. Rockne, his a record of 105-12-5, including assistant coaches, and members three National Championships. of the Notre Dame team of 1930, His football innovations included: which won the National Champi- perfecting the , the onship with a record of 10-0, their safety helmet, and nationalizing second national title in two years. intercollegient football. And he Additionally, the team logos of was a visionary of football both Notre Dame and its oppo- design and construction. nent, Navy, are printed on the ball. Provenance – So How Did We Get the Ball?

y Dad, Hubert O’Donnell, campus club (student chapter). In Near the end of 1930 season, Mayor who was 18-years-old addition to signatures from Rockne, Boyle and his wife, who were associ- at the time, his assistant coaches, and Notre ated with the alumni chapter of the Mand his sister Helen, Dame team players, the ball includes Calumet Club of Notre Dame, asked 27, won the ball after the scores from each game that their son, Austin, coming in first place season. who was the Secre- in a dance contest at tary-Treasurer of the the Gary (Indiana) The ball also includes the following student chapter of Hotel on December inscription: the Calumet Club, 29, 1930. to secure a football Compliments of the Calumet Cub signed by Rockne. of Notre Dame Un (sic) The annual holiday T. Boyle dance contest If so, they could was jointly spon- Mrs. Thomas Boyle it give away at the sored by the Calu- annual holiday dance in Gary. Aus- met Club of Notre T.S. Boyle tin Boyle was member of the Notre Dame (alumni Mayor of Whiting Dame Class of 1931. chapter) and the ustin Boyle enlisted the help of his schoolmate Anthony (Tony) ASchreiner, who was president of the Calumet Club and also the manager of the Notre Dame football team. Schreiner was able to obtain the actual ball that was used in the stadium Dedication Game earlier that year.

The ball has printed on it the Notre Dame logo as well as that of Navy, the teams that played in the Dedication Game.

According to University officials, no other ball ever has had the Notre Dame logo as well as the opposing team logo printed on it. The ball is a Wilson KR (Knute Rockne) mod- el. The Wilson Company and Rockne developed the first double-lined football that was also valve inflated. These innovations were instrumental in helping Coach Rockne develop the Notre Dame passing game. The new “KR” football could be thrown in a wobble-free spiral and was an immediate success for The Wilson Company and coach Rockne.

The National Collegiate Football rules committee selected the KR football as the prototype for specifications of all official game balls.

Once the ball was in his possession, at the end of the 1930 season, Boyle printed the scores from each game that season on the ball. Subsequently, Rockne, his coach- es and the team signed the ball.

In addition to Rockne, there are a total of 29 legible signatures. Several signatures are illegible. There is also one mystery signature.

On one part of the part of the ball is Only on special occasions did my go South Shore and South Bend the following inscription: Dad take it out and show people. Railroad to Notre Dame games in South Bend. This ball was used at the Notre These times Dame – Navy game included On one occasion, when we were in at the dedication New Year’s grade school, my brother Jim and I of the new . Eve when my snuck the ball outside to toss it Dad would around in the alley behind our R. Moynihan-- show it to the house. My Dad caught us, and we Capt. Of Navy local Irish each received the customary pun- priests from ishment of the time: The belt. According to my research, there Sacred Heart was no person on the Navy football Church I didn’t team named Moynihan, or even who would touch the any midshipman at the academy for come to our Rockne years before or after. Navy officials house and eat football speculate it may have been an hon- stinky cheese, again for orary title. drink Irish more than whisky and sing Irish songs. 50 years. For decades, the Rockne football sat in the corner of my Dad’s bedroom My Dad and the priests would closet sealed in a giant plastic bag. also travel together on the Chica- THE HOUSE THAT ROCKNE BUILT...

ith Notre Dame’s national the nation once plans became Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota Wpresence on the gridiron more specific by 1929. The Osborn - was awarded the contract and ex- expanding, head coach Knute Engineering cavation began Rockne urged Company, that summer. University Presi- which had Actual labor dent Rev. Charles designed more on the foun- Leo O’Donnell, than 50 stadia dations of the C.S.C. to build in the coun- Stadium did a new football try - including not commence stadium. Archi- Comiskey Park until April, tectural blue- in , and 1930, but four months later Notre prints and bids were received from the Polo Grounds in New York Dame Stadium – the House that prominent contractors throughout City, and facilities at Michigan, Rockne built – opened its 18 gates for its first use. The stadium mea- after the University of Michigan’s from was transplanted sured a half-mile in circumference, mammoth stadium. into the new Stadium, but Rockne stood 45 feet high and featured a insisted on its use for football only. glass-enclosed press box rising 60 Though Rockne had a chance to He kept the area between the field feet above ground.level and origi- coach in the new facility only in and the stands small to keep side- nally accommodating 264 writers its initial season of use, he took a line guests, as he called them, to plus facilities for photographers and personal hand in its design. The sod a minimum - and he personally radio and television supervised the parking and traffic broadcasters. There system that remained much the were more than two same until the 21,150-seat addi- million bricks in tion in 1997. the original edifice, 400 tons of steel and With a crowd on hand far less 15,000 cubic yards than the 54,000 capacity, the Irish of concrete. The opened the facility by defeating total cost of con- SMU 20-14 on Oct. 4, 1930. struction exceed- Official dedication ceremonies ed $750,000, and came a week later against tradi- architecturally the tional foe Navy. This time, more Notre Dame Stadi- than 40,000 fans cheered a 26-2 um was patterned, triumph over the Midshipmen. on a smaller scale, The following coaches and players signed The Rockne Football: COACHES Heartley “Hunk” Anderson John “Ike” Voedisch Tim Moynihan Knute K. Rockne Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Head Coach Calumet, MI Player on 1929 team Chicago, IL Calumet High School

PLAYERS

17 32 1 14 21 18 Roy Bailie Norm Greeney Chuck Jaskwhich Dick Mahoney Marchmont Left End Left Guard Quarterback Right End Fullback Schwartz 5’11”, 163 lbs 5’11”, 212 lbs 5’11”, 164 lbs 5’10”, 175 lbs 6’0”, 175 lbs Halfback Hollywood, CA , OH Kenosha, WI Cleveland, OH South Pasadena, 5’11”, 170 lbs Hollywood H.S. John Marshall H.S. Notre Dame-Ca- CA Bay Saint Louis, MS 23 thedral Latin South Pasadena St Stanislaus High 12 38 Clarence Kaplan School H.S. School Marty Brill Jim Harris Halfback Halfback Left Guard 5’10”, 158 lbs 80 3 16 5’11”, 181 lbs 5’10”, 188 lbs Owatonna, MN Art McManmon Emmett Murphy George Vlk Philadelphia, PA Bellaire, OH Right Tackle Quarterback Right End Linsly School 69 6’2”, 201 lbs 5’8”, 153 lbs 6’0”, 170 lbs 70 Tom Kassis Lowell, MA Duluth, MN Cleveland, OH Frank Butler 74 Left Guard Holy Name High Center Frank Hoffmann 5’11”, 185 lbs 36 25 School 6’2”, 202 lbs Right Tackle Casper, WY Regis McNamara Paul O’Connor Chicago, IL 6’2”, 224 lbs Left Tackle Halfback 76 Seattle, WA 6’1”, 190 lbs 5’9”,175 lbs 24 44 Pittsburgh, PA North Walpole, NH Center 11 Ed Kosky Binghamton H.S. 5’10”, 205 lbs Punter, Quarter- Paul Host Left End 64 Dab ob, WA back Left End 6’0”, 185 lbs 4 John Rogers Chimacum High 5’7”, 172 lbs 5’11”, 175 lbs Yonkers, NY Center School Mt.Vernon, NY LaCrosse, WI Yonkers High Right Guard 5’8”, 175 lbs School 5’9”, 152 lbs Alexis, IL 30 20 Chicago, IL Tom Conley Al Howard 33 Loyola Academy Right End Fullback Bernie Leahy 5’11”, 170 lbs 5’10”, 160 lbs Halfback Philadelphia, PA Alhambra, CA 5’11”, 180 lbs Roman Catholic Alhambra H.S. Chicago, IL H.S. Providence-St Mel

We gratefully acknowledge and thank the following individuals and organizations contacted and consulted in our continuing efforts to certify the authenticity and uniqueness of the Rockne football:

* Peter J. Lysy, Archivist for University Records * William Drew, Facilities Manager at Notre Dame Joyce Center/Rockne Memorial * Kent Stephens, Museum Curator & Historian, College Football Hall of Fame * Jim Augustine, Augie’s Locker (Notre Dame memorabilia store) South Bend, Indiana. * Frank Ceresi, FC Associates, formerly of the National Sport Gallery and noted sports memorabilia expert/museum consultant. * Steve McShane, Archivist, Calumet Regional Archives, Indiana University/Northwest * Notre Dame alumni association * Whiting Historial Society and Museum * Whiting Public Library * Heritage Auctions, the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer * Tyrone “Ty” Willingham, former ND head football coach * Rocke Garcia, ND alumus and noted ND memoribilia collector * Mark Leddy, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, Athletics Department * Captain Robert S. Wells, USN (Ret.) * Office of Chief of Naval Information, Pentagon, RADM Dennis. J. Moniyhan, USN, commanding * Naval History & Heritage Command, Washington Navy Yard, Captain H.J. Hendrix, USN