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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Team has certainly left its mark on the history of football. They have 22 NCAA national championships, 11 of which the university has claimed. Their football program began in 1887.
Beyond their own proud history, they have also been party to the story of the NFL by contributing many famous players over the years to the professional league. We will list the best players to have played for the Fighting Irish before moving on to the NFL.
Top 10 NFL players from Notre Dame
#10 - Johnny Lujack, QB
Johnny Lujack played for Notre Dame and the Chicago Bears in the NFL as a quarterback. He was the fourth overall pick of the 1946 NFL Draft and played for the Chicago Bears from 1948-1951. He made it to the Pro Bowl in 1950 and 1951 before returning to Notre Dame and becoming an assistant coach.
His 468 yards in a game against the Chicago Cardinals established an NFL record that was later broken by Norm van Brocklin. His 11 rushing touchdowns in the 1950 season were a record for a quarterback that stood for 26 years before being broken.
#9 - George Connor, OT/LB
Playing alongside Johnny Lujack with the Chicago Bears was Notre Dame alumnus George Connor. He began as a tackle on both the offensive and defensive lines. In a match against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in 1949, George Halas asked Connor to play as a linebacker. He successfully stopped halfback Steve van Buren and created a prototype of the big muscular linebacker seen in the NFL today.
He made it to four Pro Bowls from 1950 to 1953 and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
#8 - Joe Theismann, QB
Joe Theismann took the circuitous route from Notre Dame to the NFL. Initially drafted in 1971 by the Miami Dolphins, he never played a down for the them after failing to agree to the contract terms. Instead, he went and played in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts.
In 1974, he joined the Washington Redskins. He would play with them until 1985. He won Super Bowl XVII with them against the team that had drafted him. He won the NFL MVP award in 1983 and made it to Pro Bowls in both 1982 and 1983.
#7 - Curly Lambeau, RB
Iconic Green Bay running back Curly Lambeau also played his college football at Notre Dame. His contributions to the Packers' history are so significant that they play in a stadium named after him. He founded the Green Bay Packers in 1919 and was the first team captain. He would also go on to become their coach in 1920, a post he held till 1949.
Playing as a halfback, he revolutionized the passing and running game. He won six championships with the Green Bay Packers, that remains tied for the most NFL Championships won by a single head coach to this day. He also later coached the Chicago Cardinals and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
#6 - Dave Casper, TE
Dave Casper, nicknamed the Ghost, was also a product of Notre Dame. He primarily played in the NFL as a tight end and also, sometimes, played as an offensive lineman. He played from 1974 to 1980 with the Oakland Raiders and 1980 to 1983 with the Houston Oilers. With the Raiders, he won Super Bowl XI.
He was part of five Pro Bowls from 1976 to 1980 and four All-Pro Teams from 1976 to 1979. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Recognition for his college football career followed in 2012, when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In addition to his achievements in the NFL, he won the 1973 National Championship with the Fighting Irish.
#5 - Jerome Bettis, RB
Jerome Bettis comes next on our list of successful Notre Dame alumni who made it to the NFL. Today, he is considered to be the eighth-most accomplished running back of all time. He played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Steelers, he became a household name. He became one of the most explosive power-runners of all time. He won Super Bowl XL with them.
Among the list of personal accolades, he was awarded the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1993, the Comeback Player of the Year in 1996 and the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2001. He was selected to six Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
#4 - Paul Hornung, RB
Known as a complete athlete, Paul Hornung played with the Green Bay Packers during the golden years of the team. He was the Heisman Trophy winner in college in 1956, overall first pick in the 1957 NFL Draft and the 1961 NFL MVP. Due to his achievements, he has been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He remains the only player ever to meet all five of these criteria.
Hornung was a placekicker, running back and quarterback all rolled into one. From 1959 to 1961, he was the leader for points in the league. In 1960, he was also the rushing touch downs leader. He made it to four Pro Bowls and won the NFL Championship four times, including the inaugural Super Bowl.
#3 - Tim Brown, WR
Tim Brown won the Heisman Trophy with Notre Dame in 1987 and joined the Los Angeles Raiders in the first round of the NFL Draft. During his time in the NFL, he established himself as one of the best wide receivers of all time. He was the NFL kickoff return yards leader in 1988, NFL receptions leader in 1997 and made it to nine Pro Bowls. He gained nearly 15,000 receiving yards and scored 100 touchdowns.
He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
#2 - Alan Page, DT
One of the greatest defensive players of all time, Alan Page also went to Notre Dame, where he was the national champion in 1964 and 1966. He joined the Minnesota Vikings and played for them from 1967 to 1978, becoming an NFL Champion with them in 1969. He became the first defensive player ever to win the NFL MVP award in 1971. He made it to nine straight Pro Bowls from 1968 to 1976.
After leaving the Vikings, he played for the Chicago Bears from 1978 to 1981. He still holds the record for most safeties in an NFL season with two. After his football career was up, he embarked on a legal career and returned to Notre Dame to complete his bachelor's degree in political science. He completed his law degree from the University of Minnesota and was an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1993 to 2015. He won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.
#1 - Joe Montana, QB
The greatest Fighting Irish alumnus to grace the NFL is Joe Montana, with whom he won the 1977 National Championship. The Hall of Fame quarterback was picked out of Notre Dame in round three of the 1979 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. The rest, as they say, is history. He would go on to win four Super Bowls with them. Montana would win three Super Bowl MVP awards. He was also the NFL MVP in 1989 and 1990.
He played two more seasons in 1993 and 1994 with the Kansas City Chiefs and took them to their first-ever AFC championship game. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler when he retired, a five-time NFL completions leader and a two-time NFL touchdown leader. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
