Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH ECHOES JIM LEFEBVRE 42 DECEMBER 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED A mong the many ways Knute Rockne was a football visionary was his foreshadowing of two-platoon football. At a time when virtually all coaches rode their 11 strongest men through 60 minutes of two-way football, Rockne had coached deep enough into his roster to develop an entire second unit which he entrusted to start every game. So, while his Shock Troops were taking the starch out of the opponent for up to an entire quarter, usually playing them evenly or sometimes taking a lead, Rockne had his 11 best players fresh and rested, ready to enter the game at a strategic point. It was a tremendous psychological and physical advantage. It limited wear and tear on his regulars, which kept them in better shape as the season wore on. And as the Shock Troops excelled, they gained confidence and became a critical element to the team's success. Here are the 1924 Irish Shock Troops: LE CLEM CROWE, JR. LAFAYETTE, IND. Crowe came from an outstanding athletic family in Purdue territory and would become a Notre Dame basketball All-American. In his first year of varsity football, his skills translated to foot- ball, and he made a name for himself, according to the Football Review, "by his vicious tackling and fast work going down under punts." He ably performed as backup to Chuck Collins in important games against Army and Princeton. Through the 1924 sea- son, he garnered the respect of his team- mates, to the point where he was elected captain of the 1925 Irish football team. LT JOE BOLAND, SO. PHILADELPHIA The hefty (6-foot, 215-pound) Boland was one of three sophomores (along with Joe Maxwell and Vince McNally) to arrive at Notre Dame in 1923 from Philadelphia's Roman Catholic High, where they had played for former Irish standout Stan Cofall. "Boland's weight and fighting quali- ties made him a valuable gridder in the shock troop's brigade," noted the Foot- ball Review. "Time after time the op- position found it tough going when they tried to send plays through Boland." LG CHARLES GLUECKERT, SR. SOUTH BEND "Glick" had been a star at South Bend High, but decided to go to work after high school. He was making deliveries for a local beverage company when Rockne spotted him and, remembering Glueckert as a local star, asked him to consider en- tering Notre Dame and joining the Irish. The muscular Glueckert, at 5-11, 185 pounds, had developed into a reliable backup. He missed the first game of the season with an injured ankle, then started the rest of the way, as the only South Bend native to play an important role for the 1924 national champions. C JOE MAXWELL, SO. PHILADELPHIA Another of the trio from Roman Catho- lic High, Maxwell started seven games for the Irish and proved himself to be "one of the most promising gridders to come to light during the season," according to the Football Review. "He is possessed of a world of natural ability and football sense and is also an excellent snapper." The Shock Troops' center posi- tion was also manned at times by Joe Harmon, a product of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. RG DICK HANOUSEK, JR. ANTIGO, WIS. Hanousek came from a family in the logging business in northern Wisconsin, and played prep football at St. Thomas Military in St. Paul, Minn., where a string of former Notre Dame players had landed as coaches and teachers. He played fullback at St. Thomas, but Rockne felt his best contribution would be in the Irish line. Noted the 1924 Foot- ball Review: "His strength, his aggres- siveness and natural football ability have made him a valuable player." RT JOHN MCMANMON, SO. DRACUT, MASS. The 6-foot-2 McManmon had been a standout on the 1923 Irish freshman team and was already 190 pounds as a sophomore. The big farm boy from rural Massachusetts was the youngest in a family of eight, and older brothers had played at Niagara and Princeton. By midseason, McManmon had taken over a spot on the Shock Troops from John Wallace, a sophomore from Calu- met City, Ill., who started the first four games. Said the Football Review of Mc- Manmon: "His physical proportions enable him to cover his territory well and his natural aggressiveness has been the thorn in the side of a good many op- ponents." RE WILBUR EATON, JR. OMAHA, NEB. Eaton was a standout at Creighton Prep in Omaha before following an older brother to Notre Dame. As understudy to Ed Hunsinger, he made the most of his opportunity. Knute Rockne's Shock Troops Foreshadowed Two-Platoon Football CELEBRATING THE 1924 CHAMPIONS Clem Crowe (left), pictured here with Irish head coach Knute Rockne, earned the respect of his 1924 teammates and was elected captain of the 1925 Irish. PHOTO COURTESY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS