Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM JUNE/JULY 2023 15 80 Years Ago: June 24, 1943 With World War II raging overseas, Notre Dame welcomed 1,851 active-duty Navy trainees — the largest such group in the country — to the campus in its V-12 program. By comparison, Notre Dame's civilian student enrollment was merely 700. In need of better cash flow as a private college, Notre Dame president Rev. Hugh O'Donnell of- fered its facilities to the armed forces as a train- ing ground for students who also were majoring in the school's courses. The Army did not respond, but the Navy did. In September 1941, it established the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, and approximately 150 Notre Dame students per year enrolled. In early 1942, Notre Dame turned over four of its resident halls on the South Quad — Badin, Howard, Lyons and Morrissey — to the Navy for its V-7 program, which also was known as the Midshipmen's School. By 1943, the Navy needed more men to serve and it again teamed with Notre Dame to form the V-12 program. "We were out of business during World War II," noted 1952-87 Notre Dame president Rev. The- odore Hesburgh in a 1992 interview with The South Bend Tribune. "Navy came in and kept us afloat until the war was over." The V-12 helped play a monumental role to- ward Notre Dame's 1943 run to the national title because most of the undergraduate football play- ers could remain in school to partake in the pro- gram before serving in World War II. Its presence on the Notre Dame campus brought in other prospects from schools without V-12 programs. The 1943 Irish team included 14 Navy appren- tice seamen, most notably sophomore quarter- back John Lujack, who would win the 1947 Heis- man Trophy. There were 12 transfers who were part of the Marine branch of the V-12. Among them was starting right halfback Julius Rykovich, who after the War would transfer and star at the University of Illinois before going on to an eight-year profes- sional career in the NFL. Notre Dame also had 17 Marine privates, among them future College Football Hall of Fame inductees Ziggy Czarobski at right tackle, All-America right end John Yonakor, starting left guard Pat Filley and 1943 Heisman Trophy-win- ning quarterback Angelo Bertelli. 35 Years Ago: June 28, 1988 David Rivers became Notre Dame head coach Digger Phelps' ninth first-round NBA Draft pick when his name was called for the final selection (25th overall) of that first round by the Los An- geles Lakers, who earlier in the month won their second straight NBA title. Prior to his junior year at Notre Dame, Rivers nearly lost his life when a van accident nearly caused him to bleed to death. "I got a second chance," Rivers said humbly of his status. "God could have taken my life in the accident. I'm just happy to get a chance to do what I can." Rivers became the fifth guard in school history to be selected in the first round, joining Austin Carr (1971), Gary Brokaw (1974), Bill Hanzlik (1980) and John Paxson (1983). It was another 27 years before another Irish guard was taken in the first round, when Jerrian Grant was chosen 19th overall by the Washington Wizards in 2015. Blake Wesley be- came the seventh first-round guard in 2022, when he went 25th overall to the San Antonio Spurs. 15 Years Ago: July 18, 2008 More than a month and a half after former Notre Dame director of athletics Kevin White resigned to take a similar position at Duke Uni- versity, Jack Swarbrick was introduced as the school's new AD. The 1976 Notre Dame graduate received his law degree from Stanford in 1980 and was a practicing attorney at Baker & Daniels law firm in Indianapolis, where his work centered on pro- fessional and intercollegiate athletics. Swarbrick was the point man who helped Indianapolis earn the bid to host the 2012 Super Bowl, become national headquarters for the NCAA and host events such as the NCAA Basketball Final Four and the Big Ten Conference Tournament. He became a finalist for several high-profile positions in college athletics, including president of the NCAA and commissioner of the Big 12. "If you want to be in this industry, there may be 10 jobs that are worth having," Swarbrick said upon accepting the position. "This is one of them." He prophesized that immense changes are looming on the collegiate landscape and Notre Dame "must participate in leading that change. Notre Dame cannot have that dictated to it." Among the "convergence of forces," he noted, were conference television networks and shifting alliances within conferences. "There's much about this industry you won't recognize in 10 years," Swarbrick predicted. Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: June and July UNDER THE DOME In 1988, David Rivers became just the fifth Fighting Irish men's basketball guard to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS