Ranking the top 5 Notre Dame QBs of all time ft. Joe Montana

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have one of the most compelling traditions in college football history. Notre Dame has seemingly always been a power and despite occasional slumps, the Irish are relevant much more than not. Some of that credit lies with outstanding QBs. Here's a rundown of the top five Notre Dame QBs of all-time.

Top 5 Notre Dame QBs of All Time

A statue of legendary QB Paul Hornung is now located in Green Bay, where Hornung played for the Packers. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

5. Paul Hornung

How great was Hornung? He remains the only Heisman Trophy winner from a team with a losing record. In the 1956 season, Hornung led the 2-8 Irish in passing, rushing, scoring, kick returns, punt returns and punting. He was the top pick in the NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers and remains a Notre Dame and Packer legend.

4. Johnny Lujack

Lujack became a massive star leading out of World War II. A two-time unanimous All-American pick, he also won the Heisman Trophy in 1947. Lujack led the Irish to national titles in 1943, 1946 and 1947. He was the fourth pick in the 1946 draft. Lujack was a star in his four NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears before his retirement.

3. Joe Montana

Montana's Notre Dame numbers don't match up wih his massive reputation. He threw for 4,123 yards with 25 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. But Montana was already the clutch passer who could make big plays, never more apparently than in the "Chicken Soup Game," when he led Notre Dame from a 22-point third quarter deficit to a win in the Cotton Bowl despite suffering from the flu.

Montana was only a third round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers, but he became one of the greatest NFL passers ever. Montana led 32 come from behind fourth-quarter comebacks in the NFL, a skill he certainly showed at Notre Dame.

2. Brady Quinn

Quinn holds the majority of the passing record at Notre Dame. His 11,762 passing yards and 95 touchdowns are both Notre Dame records. Notre Dame has had eight 3,000 yard passing performance in a season, two of which were by Quinn. Quinn also had two of the three 30+ TD passing seasons in Notre Dame history. His NFL career was short and uneventful, but Quinn's record legacy remains.

1. John Huarte

Huarte won the Heisman in 1964, the last Notre Dame QB to claim the award. After seeing only spotty playing time before his senior season, Huarte threw for 2,062 yards and 16 touchdowns in his final college season. After winning the Heisman, Huarte played only sparingly in the AFL. But he's the last Notre Dame QB to claim the Heisman and at the time, his numbers were astonishing.

What's your take on the top Notre Dame passers? Share your take below in our comments section!