All-Time Irish Heroes

(Photo: Chad Ryan for Fighting Irish Preview) The Irish have had few pure athletes quite like Jaylon Smith.  6-3, 237 lb he could run the 40 in 4.5 seconds. In…

(Photo: Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire) After a stellar high school career in Hawaii, that include Gatorade player of the year for his junior and senior season, Manti Te’o was one of…

(Icon/Sportswire) Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee and named after actor Harrison Ford, Harrison Smith was a three-sport star in high school, a two-way player on the football field, and…

(Photo: Topps) Johnny Lujack passed away on July 25, at the age of 98. As a player at Notre Dame in the 1940's, he won the Heisman Trophy and led…

Johnny Lujack 1925-2023 (Photo: Public Domain) Legendary Notre Dame quarterback and 1947 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack passed away on Tuesday (July 25, 2023) in Naples, Florida at the age…

Joe Montana came to Notre Dame out of Monongahela, Pa. in 1974, and he actually had a hard time winning a starting job for the Irish, apparently due to poor…

(Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire) Ian Book was a bit of an afterthought in Notre Dame's 2016 recruiting class.  3-star rating out of El Dorado Hills, California he originally was a…

(Photo Courtesy of Irish Illustrated) Considered by his teammates to be a “coach on the field”, Tom Clements almost didn’t go to Notre Dame at all.  A multisport star in…

Special Edition Former ND defensive tackle and All-American Mike Fanning died last Sunday (October 30) at the age of 69.  Born in Mount Clemons, Michigan, he started at defensive tackle…

(Photograph by Doug Buffington/ Icon Sportswire) Editor's note: This is the 26th year that Fighting Irish Preview has been publishing the "All-time Irish Hero" series. From Gipp to Golson and…