Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 9, 2024 59 field, he was the definition of a Notre Dame man — playing hard, always ac- cording to the rules, never complaining or making excuses, and accepting the result with grace and dignity. But the result was overwhelmingly positive. Rockne would later call him the greatest open-field runner he ever had at Notre Dame. As a senior in 1924, Don again led the Irish in rushing (107 carries for 763 yards and 5 touchdowns) and receiving (16 catches for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns) as the team rolled past 10 opponents and captured a consensus national championship. Along with his backfield mates, he rode to widespread fame as one of the Four Horsemen. Against nemesis Nebraska Nov. 15, Miller notched touchdown runs of 10 and 18 yards to help the Irish whip the Husk- ers 34-6. In the regular-season finale at Carnegie Tech, he caught a pass from Jim Crowley and raced 52 yards for a score. After graduating with a law degree, Don Miller began coaching football along with practicing law. He served as backfield coach at Georgia Tech and later coached at Ohio State before going into law full-time. By the 1920s, the Millers had gone on to varied pursuits. Harry coached foot- ball at Creighton University in Omaha and named his first son after the school. Creighton Miller became an All-Ameri- can halfback at Notre Dame for the 1943 national champions and then a lawyer for NFL players, and he helped found the NFL Players Association. Ray Miller rose to become the mayor of Cleveland during the Depression and served as longtime chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party. He founded and owned several radio stations in Ohio. And Don Miller? He became U.S. at- torney for Northern Ohio and eventu- ally a highly respected federal judge, rubbing shoulders with the highest level of leaders including Presidents Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. In 1970, he was inducted into the College Foot- ball Hall of Fame. His greatest legacy would be his fam- ily. It is estimated that more than 50 descendants of Don Miller have earned degrees from Notre Dame or St. Mary's College. ✦ For more informa on, please visit: www.RockneSociety.org Throughout 2024, the Knute Rockne Memorial Society will remember and celebrate the centennial of the 1924 Notre Dame na onal champions, featuring Coach Rockne, The Four Horsemen and The Seven Mules. Watch for updates! Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com Miller practiced law and became a highly respected federal judge. PHOTO COURTESY KNUTE ROCKNE MEMORIAL SOCIETY