Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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50 OCT. 26, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED IRISH ECHOES JIM LEFEBVRE BY JIM LEFEBVRE O n Saturday, Oct. 26 at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey, Notre Dame will meet Navy for the 97th time. In just more than half of those seasons, 49 years from 1926-74, Edgar "Rip" Miller was associated with ath- letics at the U.S. Naval Academy. In the fall of 1924, there were several strong candidates at tackle for Notre Dame, but it was "Rip" who won the battle opposite Joe Bach on the Irish line. Miller, from the football-crazed town of Can- ton, Ohio, had gone up against Massillon's Harry Stuhldreher when Miller played at McKinley High School. The handsome Miller cut a dashing figure wearing the latest from Hart, Schaffner & Marx — he bore a striking resemblance to the young lad featured in the Canton newspaper ad- vertisements for the Homer-Miller Co., his dad's clothing firm. A ferocious tackle, Miller captained the undefeated 1920 McKinley team. In Canton, he was a delivery boy for his fa- ther's store and earned extra money as a "soda jerk" and laying cement. He spent two summers in the Great Plains states working on the wheat harvest. In his three years in South Bend, Miller had made an impression as a sharp stu- dent and a strong competitor on the field. He was also a valued teammate whose optimism and attitude could lift up the entire team. With a shock of blond hair, he had a boyish look that belied his toughness. Toughness would be needed because Miller was five inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter than Gene Oberst, the man he was trying to replace. Miller originally planned to attend Grove City College in Pennsylvania when his uncle suggested he chat with a local Notre Dame alumnus. The talk convinced him to head for South Bend, a town he had never visited. Miller's means of trans- portation to Notre Dame was "riding the blinds" — occupying the snug cramped place behind the coal car. It wasn't much for comfort, but it was free, for as far as the train went, which turned out to be Elkhart — 15 miles east of South Bend. In Elkhart the train yard police picked him up and asked Miller his plans. "I'm going to Notre Dame to try out for the football team," Miller said. The officer replied, "Get in the car and I'll drive you the rest of the way." Elkhart would play another part in Miller's Notre Dame years. As a junior, his teammate Russ Arndt was dating Phyllis Templin of Elkhart. On one planned visit to Elkhart, Arndt asked Miller to come along for a "double date," with Phyllis' sister, Esther. Rip and Es stayed in touch during their college days, and eventually married. In 1924, during the days and weeks following Notre Dame's Oct. 18 victory over Army and Grantland Rice's famous article that followed, the "Four Horse- men" nickname applied to the Irish backfield of Stuhldreher, Jim Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden began sweeping the country, as the photo of the four atop South Bend work horses appeared in more and more newspapers. Eventually, the Notre Dame line achieved its own measure of fame. On one trip, center and team captain Adam Walsh heard a knock on his door. The visitor inquired if this room was where he would find the "Four Horsemen." Walsh replied, "Nah, we're just the Seven Mules." The name stuck. A running gag among the fellows was the question of which unit was more important to the team's success. A "vote" was taken and the mules won, 7-4. A student-written poem paid trib- ute to their contribution and concluded: So, a song for Walsh and his line that starred The strenuous season through, A cheer for each tackle and end and guard Who fought for the Gold and Blue! Here's to Kizer, and Weibel, to Hun- singer, "Rip," To Collins and Bach, in fine! Now, all together a big "Hip, Hip, Hurrah!" for the Irish line. After the 10-0 season, Rose Bowl vic- tory and consensus national champion- ship, Miller joined all of his fellow Mules and the Horsemen in becoming a col- lege football coach in the fall of 1925. He joined the staff of Bill Ingram at Indiana and the following year, when Ingram was named head coach at the U.S. Na- val Academy, Miller joined him as line coach of the Midshipmen. In their first season coaching at the academy, Ingram and Miller guided the Middies to a 9-0-1 record and national championship recognition, the school's only such honor. At the same time, Miller began advocating for Navy to play Notre Dame, and in 1927 the series began. In 1931, Ingram left Annapolis to take over the Cal Bears and Miller was named his successor. In three seasons as Navy head coach, Miller led the Mids to 12 wins, including their first victory over Notre Dame, a 7-0 triumph over Hunk Ander- son's Irish on Nov. 4, 1933, in Baltimore. 'Seven Mule' Rip Miller Became A Mainstay At The Naval Academy CELEBRATING THE 1924 CHAMPIONS Miller played for Notre Dame in 1922-24, han- dling right tackle on the "Seven Mules" in the 1924 national championship season. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS