Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM DECEMBER 2024 43 "His incomparable fighting spirit and determination to stick to it made Eaton one of the most valuable men on the squad," noted the Football Review. "He made the going around the flanks rather perilous for the opposition." QB EDDIE SCHARER, JR. TOLEDO, OHIO A multi-sport high school star in Toledo, Scharer spent one year at the University of Detroit before com- ing to Notre Dame. He worked his way through many quarterback candidates to emerge as main understudy to Harry Stuhldreher. Like Stuhldreher, "he is not large in stature, but has a world of natural abil- ity and a capacity to think football. He ran his shock troops with the hand of a master," Football Review noted. LH HARRY O'BOYLE, SO. DES MOINES, IOWA O'Boyle grew up the youngest in a coal-mining family where a college education was unheard of. But his older siblings saw something remarkable in him and urged their parents to find a way to send him to college. The 5-foot- 9, 160-pounder stood out as a fresh- man, then rose as a varsity challenger to Elmer Layden as the team's kicker. O'Boyle kicked off to start most games in 1924 and scored touchdowns in the first two games, including break- ing loose for a 55-yard run against Lom- bard. He also booted the season's only field goal against Wisconsin. RH WARD "DOC" CONNELL, SR. BELOIT, WIS. Connell was raised in an intensely Catholic family in Beloit, Wis., where they lived next door to the parish rec- tory. Since his prep school days, home was Notre Dame, where he was a top student and athlete in the prep division. In the season opener versus Lombard, he went 25 yards with a pass from Jim Crowley, and later broke through left tackle and raced 57 yards for a touch- down. He enjoyed a homecoming when the Irish spent Friday night, Nov. 7, in Beloit en route to their game at Wisconsin. Against the Badgers, Connell reeled off runs of 25 and 30 yards, to the delight of many friends and relatives in atten- dance. FB BILL CERNEY, SR. CHICAGO Cerney, sometimes called "the Fifth Horseman" for his critical role in the Irish backfield, was known as "the fiery spirit behind the shock troops," accord- ing to the Football Review. He ran for touchdowns in the first two games of the season and was always at the ready as an able backup to Layden. When injury kept Layden out of the regular-season finale against Carne- gie Tech at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Cerney played a major role and found the end zone on a 3-yard run. Cerney proved himself to be as steady a reserve as a team could want, living up to the standard set by Layden. ✦ 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