Best Player in Notre Dame History?

[jason_h537]

zibby suckecd in coverage buthe was a ball hawk and would lay the lumber. I don't know who the best player all time is but Golden might be the best player i have seen.

 

[philipm31]

I have to go with Paul Hournung as well guys.

Me being a defensive person I loved to watch Zib...he was so nasty!!

Wanna talk nasty....talk Zorich, or the Three Amigos of the 1988 squad. THOSE were nasty defenseive players.

 

[Sam Crow]

Best QB that ive seen play has to be Quinn. But the vote goes to the Gipp

 

[peredonov]

I think Bobby Taylor underachieved at ND, but he was one of the best D-backs to play in the modern era.

It's so tough to compare Gipp to the modern era. The game and the ball itself were very different. Look at what Sammy Baugh did with the type of football used.

 

[irishtrain]

The Rocket for me. His KO return in 1990 against MIA was ELECTRIC and his not getting the Heisman was just horrid. Plus the phantom flag on the COL KO for the TD. The man was just amazing and the best that I have ever SEEN. Saw Pinkett too, at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, when ND beat Fredo and little man Flutie 15-14 in the BITTER cold. But the Rocket was the best I have ever seen.

I could not believe he did not win the Heisman that year

 

[Riddickulous]

Best QB that ive seen play has to be Quinn. But the vote goes to the Gipp

Clausen as a junior is better than Quinn was as a senior, in my opinion.

 

[NDisme]

Definateley shaq evans!... thats for you ctf.

Who do you think?

I've gotta go with the Gipper. That's right: George Gipp. The man averaged 177 yards of offense a game (ridiculous numbers in his era).

Crazy.

 

[GO IRISH GO]

All the names mention are notable but the Best Player in ND history was noted in the first post.

Only two players are listed on both the Greatest ND Offensive Players of All Time and Greatest ND Defensive Players of All-Time.

Leon Hart is a Second Team Tight End and a Second Team Defensive End on those lists.

George Gipp is the First Team Halfback , the First Team Kicker, and the First Team Free Safety.

Gipp only played in 27 games as Rockne had to talk him into playing football his freshman Fall. Gipp had not played HS football. Despite only 27 games Gipp rushed for 2341 career yds on 369 attempts and scored 21 TDs. His career rushing total was the record at ND for 58 years til Jerome Heavens broke it in 1978. His 6.3 career ypc is 3rd best in ND history. He averaged 8.1 ypc as a senior.

He broke his leg as a freshman, scored a TD with a dislocated shoulder as a junior.

Gipp ran for big yardage, completed over 50% of his passes, punted, returned kick offs and punts, kicked PATS and FGs and was a shutdown Free Safety as a 60 minute man.

He was an every down player.

Against Army as a Senior, a month before he died, he rushed for 150 yds, passed for 123 and a TD, has 207 yds on kick returns, kicked 3 PATs and averaged over 43 yds punting. In his career he handled the ball 594 times and gained 4781 yds.

I had read somewhere that Gipp never gave up a completed pass when he was on defense

 

[BeatSC]

Here's an old one:

Johnny Latner, 2 MAxwell awards (only player to win it twice in CFB) and a Heisman.

 

[wakeuptheechoes]

I would not be upset if Clements, Montana, Theisman were quarterback now, but Clausen is doing a great job this year so how much do you get from them against what Clausen stats are this year, Same with Brown and the Rocket, both great players but Tate and Floyd (Floyd has been injured obviously) seem to be doing great themselves handling the receiving duties. (Could use Brown or the Rocket on Special teams) The reason I said Ross Browner is there seemed to be a greater distance between abilitiy there. But imagine if you had Zorich, Browner, Tuck, Bryant, and or Page o n the D-line. Obviously one of them would have to play the interior, but my gosh what a d-line.

 

[Riddickulous]

Definateley shaq evans!... thats for you ctf.

In time, in time.

Shaq will go down as the greatest athlete in the history of man.

 

[Bill]

Clausen has the underage alcohol issue.

 

[GoldenChild]

Tim Brown...The WR position is my favorite

 

[77domer]

There are too many greats to name one best (how do you choose between Gipp, Hart, & Hornung?)

My favorite player? Another tough one.

Robin Weber or Erick Penick.

 

[Little Gipper]

I have to go with George Gipp. Win one for the Gipper!

 

[ACamp1900]

I would go with Paul Hournung. He did it all.

actually gipp DID IT ALL...

look up the man's stats and what he led the nation in, in his final season... it's sick

 

[DCirishfan]

Tim Brown