Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 27, 2025 51 prominence that Irish fans celebrate to this day. The WNDU team uncovered the true stories of the charismatic coach, the Four Horsemen and how these young men fought anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic sentiments across the country. The documentary also features stories of the national championship coaches who followed Rockne at Notre Dame: Leahy, Parseghian, Devine and Holtz. "Knute Rockne and a Century of Champions" has been honored with the prestigious 2025 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award. HANNAH STORM '83 COMMUNICATOR AWARD Hannah Storm '83 is an award-winning journal- ist, producer and director, a pioneer in the field of sports broadcasting for women, an advocate for children suffering vascular anomalies and a published author. Storm became the first woman ever to do play- by-play for the NFL for an entire season, which she did for four years on Amazon Prime. In addi- tion, Storm was the first play-by-play voice for the WNBA, on NBC. She also had pioneering stints at CBS News, ABC and CNN. The Hannah Storm Foundation works to raise awareness and fund surgeries for children suffer- ing from vascular anomalies. After a recent breast cancer diagnosis, Storm has become an advocate for early detection and testing. BRYANT YOUNG '94 CHAMPION AWARD Bryant Young '94, 1993 Notre Dame All-American defensive lineman, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion, represents the finest tradi- tion of Notre Dame football. Young anchored an Irish defensive line that led the team to an 11-1 record and No. 2 ranking in his senior season, before a superlative 14-year pro career with the San Francisco 49ers, in which he was a four-time Pro Bowl honoree and won a bevy of other awards. The 49ers selected Young with the seventh overall pick of the 1994 NFL Draft. His impact was immedi- ate: 6 sacks in 16 starts and a spot on the NFL All- Rookie Team for the Super Bowl champion 49ers. From the start, Young was expected to anchor the 49ers defensive line. He met that challenge and anchored the locker room with a presence that was reflected in the numerous team-issued awards he piled up over his 14 NFL seasons. Eight times, he received the team's Len Eshmont Award, given annually since 1957 for "inspirational and courageous play." He and his family are in- volved in the battle against pediatric cancer after losing a son to the disease. ✦ www.RockneSociety.org Congratulations! Knute Rockne Spirit of Sports Awards Winners Bryant Young ND All-American, Pro Hall Of Famer Coach Digger Phelps Hoops Coaching Legend Hannah Storm Groundbreaking Sportscaster Coach Jeff Jackson National Hockey Leader Tricia Sloma Long-Serving WNDU Anchor Dr. Bill Hurd ND Athlete, Doctor, Musician The Family Of 'Seven Mule' Noble Kizer Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com Hannah Storm became the first woman ever to do play-by-play for the NFL for an entire season, which she did for four years on Amazon Prime. PHOTO COURTESY ESPN