Current:Home > ScamsNotre Dame legend, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Lujack dies at 98-LoTradeCoin
Notre Dame legend, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Lujack dies at 98
View Date:2024-12-23 21:07:52
College football legend and former Pro Bowl quarterback for the Chicago Bears Johnny Lujack died Tuesday at his home in Naples, Florida after a brief illness, the University of Notre Dame said in a statement. He was 98.
Lujack led the Fighting Irish to three national championships and won the Heisman Trophy in 1947 at the beginning of the T-formation era. He replaced the program's first Heisman Trophy winner, Angelo Bertelli midseason as a sophomore in 1943 and won the first of his three titles. He then served time in the Navy during World War II and returned to win back-to-back championships in 1946 and 1947. The Fighting Irish went undefeated both seasons.
He also played defensive halfback and made a key game-saving play against Army in 1946. In the third quarter, he tackled fullback Doc Blanchard when he otherwise had a clear path for a touchdown. The game ended 0-0.
Two decades after Knute Rockne put the program on the national stage, Lujack helped keep Notre Dame in the public eye. He appeared on the cover of Life magazine in September of 1947, donning a green jersey and gold helmet.
Lujack, who hailed from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, was only the third player in Notre Dame history to letter in four sports. He also played baseball, basketball and track.
After his career under the Golden Dome, Lujack was selected No. 4 overall in the NFL draft by the Bears and made his debut in 1948. In four years with Chicago, he was named to the Pro Bowl twice. In 1949, he led the league with 2,658 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.
He left the professional ranks after the 1951 season because, per the New York Times, he didn't get along with owner and coach George Halas. He took an assistant coaching position at Notre Dame under his former coach Frank Leahy. He worked there for two seasons.
Lujack was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia Ann, and two children, Mary and Jeff.
veryGood! (62)
Related
- A wayward sea turtle wound up in the Netherlands. A rescue brought it thousands of miles back home
- Good as NFL's star running backs are, they haven't been worth the money lately
- S Club 7 Recalls the Awful Moment They Learned of Paul Cattermole's Death
- Ukraine lifts ban on athletes competing against Russians, but tensions continue
- World War II veteran reflects on life as he turns 100
- Is the Atlantic Ocean current system nearing collapse? Probably not — but scientists are seeing troubling signs
- Don’t mess with Lindsey: US ekes out 1-1 draw in Women’s World Cup after Horan revenge goal
- The US military integrated 75 years ago. It forever changed the way America works.
- New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens
- Urban beekeeping project works to restore honey bee populations with hives all over Washington, D.C.
Ranking
- Family of security guard shot and killed at Portland, Oregon, hospital sues facility for $35M
- Man pleads not guilty in fatal road rage shooting in Washington state
- Proof Mandy Moore's Sons Have a Bond That's Sweet as Candy
- Mississippi teen’s death in poultry plant shows child labor remains a problem, feds say
- Atlanta man dies in shootout after police chase that also kills police dog
- FACT FOCUS: No head trauma or suspicious circumstances in drowning of Obamas’ chef, police say
- 'They Cloned Tyrone' is a funky and fun sci-fi mystery
- With Florida ocean temperatures topping 100, experts warn of damage to marine life
Recommendation
-
Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
-
TikTokers are zapping their skin with red light; dermatologists say they’re onto something
-
Kevin Spacey Found Not Guilty on 9 Sexual Misconduct Charges
-
WNBA’s Riquna Williams arrested on felony domestic violence charges in Las Vegas
-
Cruel Intentions' Brooke Lena Johnson Teases the Biggest Differences Between the Show and the 1999 Film
-
Japanese Pop Star Shinjiro Atae Comes Out as Gay
-
Beast Quake (Taylor's Version): Swift's Eras tour concerts cause seismic activity in Seattle
-
Whoopi Goldberg Defends Barbie Movie From Critics of Greta Gerwig Film