(National Football Foundation)
By a wide margin, Notre Dame holds the distinction of having the most players inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, with 50 Fighting Irish greats enshrined. This season, we’re spotlighting a few of those legends, beginning with the program’s most recent inductee—Terry Hanratty, Class of 2025.
The Early Years: A “Baby Bomber”
A prep All-American quarterback out of Butler, Pennsylvania, Hanratty arrived in South Bend with high expectations—and he wasted no time living up to them. In 1966, as just a sophomore starter at age 18, he helped lead Notre Dame to a share of the national championship, one of the most storied seasons in program history.
That same year, Hanratty teamed up with fellow sophomore Jim Seymour to form a record-setting passing duo nicknamed the “Baby Bombers”—or as they were also called, “Fling and Cling.” Their explosive chemistry even landed them on the cover of Time magazine, a rarity for college athletes of the era.
A Precision Quarterback Under Parseghian
Hanratty is remembered as one of the first great quarterbacks of Ara Parseghian’s modern passing era. During his three seasons as the starter (1966–68), the Irish went 24-4-2, never finishing lower than No. 5 in the national rankings. His leadership and poise helped Notre Dame win 83 percent of its games in that span.
A consensus First Team All-American in 1968, Hanratty also made history in the Heisman Trophy race—finishing 6th in 1966, 9th in 1967, and 3rd in 1968. He and Angelo Bertelli remain the only Irish players to finish in the top 10 three times.
Statistically, Hanratty left South Bend with Notre Dame’s career records for pass completions (304), passing yards (4,152), and touchdown passes (27). He added 16 rushing touchdowns and 586 yards on the ground. His 63 pass attempts against Purdue in 1967 still rank second in program history.
NFL Journey and Beyond
Drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, Hanratty spent seven seasons in the NFL, winning two Super Bowls with the Steelers before closing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976.
After football, he built a long and successful career on Wall Street.
Family and Community
Terry’s Irish legacy continued through his son, Connor Hanratty, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive lineman who played for Notre Dame from 2012–14 after choosing the Irish over Michigan State.
Beyond football and business, Hanratty dedicated time to community causes. He served as Allegheny County chairman of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, participated in the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy, and worked with NFL charities supporting children with cancer and the blind.
Lasting Impact
From national champion and record-setter to Heisman finalist, Super Bowl champion, and now Hall of Famer, Terry Hanratty’s legacy stretches across generations of Irish football. His induction cements his place among the all-time greats of the game.
And Terry Hanratty is this week’s Fighting Irish Preview: All-Time Irish Hero.