Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 8, 2022 53 & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., to Oregon Agricultural College in Corvallis, Ore. At BYU, Rockne's football students were eager and serious, soaking up ev- ery bit of knowledge possible from their highly respected teacher. And as at all of Rockne's summer schools, the informal banter between sessions, at meals and evening "bull sessions" added to the at- tendees' understanding of the game and how to manage an athletic program. It also created a sense of community among coaches, and contacts that would be helpful as each progressed in his career. Rockne would also participate in one of BYU's signature annual events, when a large group of students, faculty and community members would hike to the 11,572-foot summit of Mount Timpa- nogos, which overlooks Provo. Profes- sor Roberts established the first Mount Timp Hike in 1912, to encourage physi- cal activity among students. It grew to such an extent that the damage caused by the event's huge turnout led to the U.S. Forest Service asking BYU in 1970 to discontinue the hike. After leaving Provo, Rockne wrote Rob- erts, asking him to "remember me to the good people there … I had a wonderful time out in Utah and am very grateful to you for your wonderful hospitality." Rockne also noted that he had not had time to grade the final papers before leav- ing, and suggested to Roberts that "if you are in a hurry for grades, (you may) do that yourself using your own judgment, but I do not believe that we should flunk anybody." As for the BYU pro- gram itself, it would take a few years to climb above .500, with the first winning season (5-3) coming in 1929 under sec- ond-year head coach G. Ott Romney, from a family which would go on to produce prominent politicians in Utah, Michigan and Massachusetts. Decades later, un- der LaVell Edwards, coach from 1972-2000, the Cougars reached the pinnacle of the college foot- ball world, winning the consensus na- tional championship in 1984. ✦ Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jlefebvre@blueandgold.com In 1912, a group of BYU students and faculty started a tradition of hiking as a group to the 11,572-foot summit of Mount Timpanogos, overlooking Provo. PHOTO COURTESY OF BYU ARCHIVES The 6 th annual Rockne Awards will honor an all-star lineup of individuals from southern California, headed up by 1964 Heisman Trophy winner John Huarte. The Knute Rockne Memorial Society Presents 2022 Knute Rockne Spirit of Sports Awards Celebra on Friday, Nov. 25 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Grand Cathedral Ballroom Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles The day before the Figh ng Irish meet USC at the Coliseum, we'll gather at the Cathedral to celebrate nearly a century of Notre Dame football in southern California. Join us by reserving your spot at www.RockneSociety.org/shop.