Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH ECHOES JIM LEFEBVRE 50 SEPT. 12, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED O n Sept. 5, the day before Notre Dame met Wisconsin at iconic Lambeau Field, the 10th annual Knute Rockne Spirit of Sports Awards Celebration took place at the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay, Wis. The event celebrated the many his- torical strands that connect Notre Dame and Green Bay football, starting with standouts from more than a century ago, Curly Lambeau and Jim Crowley, and continuing to include the Green Bay Packers' superstar talent scout of the 1950s Jack Vainisi and his prize signee, 1956 Heisman Trophy-winner Paul Hornung of Notre Dame. The special guest speaker was Mike McCoy, 1969 Notre Dame All-American and UPI Defensive Lineman of the Year. McCoy was drafted No. 2 overall by the Green Bay Packers and spent the next seven seasons (1970-76) with the team as part of an 11-year NFL career. He was named the 2020 Rockne Inspiration Award winner for his work speaking to school groups across the country. Also on hand were Luther Bradley, All-American and two-time national champion (1973, 1977) and winner of the 2018 Rockne Inspiration Award; Bill Dwyre, winner of the 2022 Rockne Communicator Award; and Dr. Bill Hurd, winner of the 2025 Rockne Inspi- ration Award. Here is the complete list of the 2026 Rockne Award winners: LEGACY AWARD The Family of Tom "Red" Hearden '27 Hearden followed Crowley by two years as the star back at East High, then went on to play at Notre Dame in 1923-26. He was a backup halfback behind Crowley on the 1924 national champi- ons, then rose to starter and captain of the 1926 Fighting Irish, who finished 9-1 with a victory over Southern Cal in their first meeting. As a head coach, he led Green Bay East to a 51-3-1 record and St. Norbert College to a 42-14 mark and was a Green Bay Packers assistant. LEGACY AWARD The Family of Jack Vainisi '50 Vainisi grew up in Depression-era Chicago, a high school football star who earned his way to Notre Dame. Upon graduation, he joined the struggling Green Bay Packers and, over the next decade, refined the field of college talent scouting. Vainisi was instrumental in scouting and helping draft many future Hall of Fame Packers who won five NFL titles and two Super Bowls under Vince Lom- bardi in the 1960s. INSPIRATION AWARD Greg Blache '72 Blache came to Notre Dame as a recruit of Ara Parseghian but was sidelined by injuries. Par- seghian then guided him into coaching, and Blache became the first Black coach in Notre Dame foot- ball history, starting with a stint in 1972-75. He returned in 1981-83, then went on to a 22-year career as an NFL assistant, including 1988-93 with the Green Bay Packers. He also served as defensive coordinator for Chicago and Washington. LEADERSHIP AWARD Tom Clements '75 Clements guided the Fighting Irish to the national championship as quarterback in 1973 and went on to a championship career in the Canadian Football League. He served as Notre Dame's quarterback coach in 1992-95 before embarking on a 25-year NFL coaching career, including 14 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, as quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. HUMANITARIAN AWARD Dr. Robin Goldsmith '87 Dr. Goldsmith is president, chief medical officer and co-founder of St. Gianna Clinic in DePere, Wis. A national leader in Catholic-based medicine, the clinic was given a formal decree as the first "Catho- lic teaching clinic" in the country by Bishop David Ricken. The clinic serves as a sustainable, replicable model for the entire country, providing excellent, faithful medical care for all patients. TEAMWORK AWARD Ed Policy '93 A key member of the executive leadership team of the Green Bay Packers since 2012, Policy was elevated to Packers president in 2025. He leads the historic franchise with a vision of all stakeholders in the challenging world of pro sports. Policy has The 2026 Rockne Award Winners Greg Blache, winner of the Inspiration Award, became the first Black coach in Notre Dame football his- tory, starting with a stint in 1972-75. PHOTO COURTESY KNUTE ROCKNE MEMORIAL SOCIETY Tom Clements, who received the Leadership Award, quarterbacked Notre Dame to the 1973 national title and served as an assistant coach for the Irish from 1992-95 before fashioning a 25-year NFL coaching career that included 14 seasons in Green Bay. PHOTO COURTESY GREEN BAY PACKERS