Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1509252
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 14, 2023 53 electrifying atmosphere and frenzied fan support in Notre Dame Stadium. "They [the crowd] were the greatest thing ever," Mike Townsend said. "I love to play before our crowd; they make the biggest difference in the world," Penick added. The Irish won 23-14, then followed up with one-sided wins over Navy, No. 20 Pitt, Air Force and Miami, before de- feating No. 1 Alabama 24-23 in the epic Sugar Bowl showdown that secured the national championship. Here's what some of the key members of the 1973 national champions went on to accomplish, both in and out of football: • Quarterback Tom Clements, who passed for 882 yards and 8 touchdowns in 1973, has had a long career as an NFL assistant, currently in his second stint with the Green Bay Packers. • Fullback Wayne Bullock, who led the team in rushing with 752 yards and 11 touchdowns, had a career in human re- sources and labor relations management. • Eric Penick recently published an autobiography, "A Notre Dame Man: The Life, Lore and Runs of Eric Penick," a triumphant portrait of adversity and redemption. It hit No. 1 on Amazon's New Releases and Best Sellers. • Pete Demmerle, who led the '73 Irish with 26 receptions for 404 yards and 5 touchdowns, earned a law degree from Fordham, and died in 2007 at age 53, after an eight-year battle with ALS. • Tight end Dave Casper, a co-captain who had 19 receptions for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns in 1973, was inducted into both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, after an All-Pro career with four NFL teams. • Kicker Bob Thomas was the leading scorer with 70 points (43 extra points, 9 field goals) and went on to a stellar NFL career, mostly with the Chicago Bears. He practiced law and became Chief Jus- tice of the Illinois Supreme Court. • Safety Luther Bradley led the team with 6 interceptions and became a two- time national champion with the 1977 Irish. He's an inspirational figure to youth in Detroit. • Linebacker Greg Collins had a team-high 133 tackles, and has been an actor since 1984, appearing in dozens of films and TV shows. • Linebacker Drew Mahalic graduated from Harvard Law School, worked for the United Nations in Geneva, taught law school in Cork, Ireland, and directed the Oregon Sports Authority. • Guard Frank Pomarico, co-captain, reflected on his ND experiences by au- thoring the book, "Ara's Knights: Ara Parseghian and the Golden Era of Notre Dame Football." • Safety Mike Townsend, co-captain, was a consensus All-American in 1973 and went on to a long career with the U.S. Department of Energy. • Defensive end Ross Browner, a starter as a freshman in 1973, is in the College Football Hall of Fame af- ter winning the Outland, Maxwell and Lombardi Trophies at Notre Dame. He died of complications of COVID-19 on Jan. 4, 2022. ✦ The Knute Rockne Memorial Society wishes to congratulate the 2023 Rockne Award recipients Thom Gatewood '72 Living Legend Award Kevin Corrigan Champion Award Missy Conboy '82 Leadership Award Jack Nolan Communicator Award Larry Dwyer '66 Dis nguished Service Award Michael Leep Community Leader Award Jim Augus ne Heritage Award The Knute Rockne Memorial Society wishes to thank all who helped make the 2023 Knute Rockne Spirit of Sports Awards Celebra on a great success. We appreciate your par cipa on and support. Relive this great event by visi ng www.RockneSociety.org Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com