Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME back Luther Bradley, running backs Al Hunter and Dan Knott, and quarterback Roy Henry. As freshmen, Browner was third in tackles (68) and first in tackles for loss (15) while Bradley paced the team in interceptions (six) and passes broken up (11). Hunter scored on a 93-yard kickoff return in the 24-23 Sugar Bowl win versus Alabama, and Fry was penciled in as a starter in '74. A terse statement was released by the school: "The University of Notre Dame has dismissed for a pe- riod of no less than one academic year a small number of students who had been attending the summer session. This action follows an investigation by the dean of students of a violation of university rules." The violation, which occurred July 4, was the alleged on-campus rape of an 18-year-old South Bend woman, prompting sensational headlines across the nation. Another player, not suspended, tells the South Bend Tribune the players received "a raw deal" (no formal charges were pressed). Head coach Ara Parseghian tells the Chicago Tribune that while he agrees with the suspension from football for breaking university rules, he fought the expulsion. "I had to find out two things," Parseghian said. "Whether the alleged rape actually occurred and whether the players were remorseful. If this was a rape, there was no possible way I could come to the defense of the kids. "But there is no way with the testimony of the number of witnesses I heard, that the charge of rape could even hold water. This was an agonizing experience for the students. They were immensely remorse- ful. They are excellent kids who made a mistake. They had a woman in the room and they had sex in the dorms, and for that they were punished by the university." The nightmare summer also saw the Irish lose potential starting guard Steve Quehl, who nearly was killed in an industrial accident, and potential starting safety Tim Simon, who was blinded in one eye through a different accident. — Lou Somogyi