Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 NOV. 26, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED IRISH ECHOES JIM LEFEBVRE BY JIM LEFEBVRE F or just more than a century, play- ers from Southern California have populated Notre Dame football rosters. Here is our all-time SoCal Fighting Irish team: OFFENSE TIGHT END Troy Niklas 2011-13 Fullerton (Servite H.S.) After playing linebacker as a fresh- man, he was moved to tight end, backed up Tyler Eifert, and then emerged as a junior with 32 receptions for 498 yards and five touchdowns before declaring for the NFL. TACKLE Todd Norman 1990-93 Huntington Beach (Ocean View H.S.) Before switching to tackle his senior year, Norman started at right guard in 1992 and was considered a major reason that Reggie Brooks averaged a whop- ping 8.0 yards per carry in achieving All-America status. GUARD Mike Carney 1974-76 La Mirada (La Mirada H.S.) Carney worked his way up to become a starter his senior year in 1976, when he helped clear the way for Al Hunter to rush for a then-school-record 1,058 yards. CENTER Adam Walsh 1922-24 Hollywood (Hollywood H.S.) The captain of the 1924 consensus na- tional champions, the inspirational leader of "The Seven Mules" played through se- rious injuries with epic performances in the biggest games. Walsh is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. GUARD Jarrett Patterson 2018-22 Laguna Hills (Mission Viejo H.S.) A powerful, versatile force who has also played center, Patterson is the un- disputed leader of the current Irish of- fensive line and a team captain. TACKLE George Kunz 1966-68 Los Angeles (Loyola H.S.) A member of the 1966 national champs, Kunz was an Irish co-captain and consensus first-team All-American in 1968. He made the Pro Bowl seven times in a 12-year NFL career with At- lanta and Baltimore. WIDE RECEIVER Jack Snow 1962-64 Long Beach (St. Anthony Boys H.S.) Emerging as a senior in 1964 along with QB John Huarte, Snow set a slew of Notre Dame receiving records with 60 receptions for 1,114 yards and 9 scores en route to earning All-America honors. WIDE RECEIVER Rhema McKnight 2002-06 La Palma (John F. Kennedy H.S.) After a knee injury wiped out his 2005 season, McKnight was awarded another year and made the most of it, with 67 catches for 907 yards and 15 scores, giv- ing him career totals of 170 receptions for 2,277 yards and 22 touchdowns. WIDE RECEIVER Equanimeous St. Brown 2015-17 Anaheim (Servite H.S.) After seeing little action as a freshman, St. Brown emerged as an Irish weapon. He finished his three years with 92 receptions for 1,484 yards and 13 touchdowns before entering the NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the Green Bay Packers and now suits up for the Chicago Bears. QUARTERBACK John Huarte 1962-64 Anaheim (Mater Dei H.S.) Huarte was buried on the depth chart before Ara Parseghian's arrival in 1964. In his first year as starting quarterback, he responded with a magical season, leading the Irish to a 9-1 mark and win- ning the Heisman Trophy. RUNNING BACK Mark Green 1985-88 Riverside (Riverside Poly H.S.) Green was a workhorse for the Irish, totaling 382 carries for 1,977 yards (a 5.2 average) and 15 touchdowns. He added another 611 yards on 61 receptions. He was second in rushing with 646 yards for the 1988 national champs. DEFENSE Defensive Line Charles "Chile" Walsh 1925-27 Hollywood (Hollywood H.S.) Walsh came along with his older brother Adam on an epic cross-country drive in a Ford Model T. He became a defensive star, later a head coach for St. Louis University and the general man- ager of two NFL teams. DEFENSIVE LINE Brad Williams 1996-99 Orange (Mater Dei H.S.) Known for his toughness and con- sistency, Williams became a stalwart of the Irish defensive line. He also made an impromptu switch to guard on the injury-wracked '96 offensive line. DEFENSIVE LINE Chris Frome 2003-06 Saugus (Hart H.S.) A tenacious, hard worker, Frome rose to become a starter during his junior season (2005) and all of his senior year (2006), helping the rejuvenated Irish achieve records of 9-3 and 10-3. Offensive tackle George Kunz — a native of Los Angeles — was a member of Notre Dame's 1966 national champs, a consensus first-team All- American in 1968 and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection during his 12-year NFL career. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Notre Dame Has Pulled Plenty Of Talent From Enemy Territory In Southern California