Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Under the Dome Ted Burgmeier: 1955-2013 One of the most versatile football players ever to play at Notre Dame, cornerback Ted Burgmeier (1974-77) died July 7 at age 57 from heart and lung failure. At age 27, Burgmeier was diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease, which required radiation treatments. Seven years later it relapsed, and aggressive chemotherapy was the next step. He had been rid of the cancer the past two decades, but in 2008 Burgmeier experienced a heart valve problem that doctors suspected stemmed from the past radiation treatments. Thus, he had open-heart surgery in which new valves were inserted. "I had a tendency, for a short time, probably to ask that question, 'Why me?' especially because I had three children under age 5," he said in an Burgmeier Oct. 4, 2010, feature in Blue & Gold Illustrated about his reaction when first diagnosed with Hodgkins. "But I kept a pretty good spirit and attitude about it. My faith is very strong and I was supported certainly by my family and lots of friends. One of the first letters I received was from Ara [Parseghian], and the support you receive from the Notre Dame community is so powerful." Signed by Parseghian as a left-handed quarterback with the same dimensions (6-0, 183 pounds) as 1972-74 signal-caller Tom Clements (6-0, 184 pounds), Burgmeier arrived in the same class as Joe Montana but lettered as a freshman at free safety and as a kickoff/punt returner. Under new head coach Dan Devine in 1975, Burgmeier received an audition at quarterback and halfback before becoming the top split end. With 1:03 remaining and the game tied 14-14 at North Carolina that year, he took a short pass from Montana and turned it into an 80-yard, game-winning score. The next season Burgmeier moved to cornerback, where he earned second-team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association during his senior year in 1977 when Notre Dame captured the national title. Yet the East Dubuque, Iowa, native's greatest moment on the field may have been as the "holder" in the legendary "Green Jersey Game" against USC, a 49-19 victory that catapulted the Fighting Irish toward the No. 1 finish. In the first half, Burgmeier chased down a bad snap on a point after try and ran around for about 30 yards before flipping a two-point conversion pass to Tom Domin for a 15-7 lead. Minutes later, Burgmeier ran 21 yards off a fake field goal attempt to set up a Montana touchdown pass to tight end Ken MacAfee seconds before halftime. In that same game, Burgmeier also returned an interception 38 yards and recorded eight tackles. Drafted in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins, Burgmeier made it to the last cut and then was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs halfway through the season to play safety and special teams. That rookie season would be his last in football. "I tried out with a number of different teams, and went up to Canada to try out," Burgmeier recalled. "I certainly wish it would have lasted longer, but that's the beauty of Notre Dame — there's life beyond athletics." He returned to his roots in East Dubuque and used his degree in business administration to become a national sales manager for A.Y. Manufacturing Co. the past quarter century. He leaves behind his wife of 37 years, Julie — whom he married prior to his senior year at Notre Dame — four children and 10 grandchildren.