Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/542018
Hall of Fame and Heap is the lone three-time Academic All-American in Notre Dame football annals. Both were top 10 NFL picks. 4-1. AL HUNTER, WILLIE FRY, LUTHER BRAD- LEY AND ROSS BROWNER — The group made up the most infamous season- long suspension in Notre Dame foot- ball history. The quartet, particularly Browner and Bradley, were freshmen sensa- tions during the 1973 national title run. In the summer of 1974 they were suspended for a full year because of violations that origi- nally involved rape ac- cusations, from which the players were ex- onerated despite sala- cious national head- lines. Other schools sali- vated at the prospect of having any of them transfer to their pro- gram, but here's what Browner shared on the matter years ago: "I decided I would not run away from anything because I did not do any- thing wrong other than have a young lady in the dormitory after hours," he said. "A school disciplinary action had to happen because of that. … I had a real extensive talk with Ara, Fa- ther [Ted] Hesburgh, and Father [Ned] Joyce. I came out of there thinking, 'Hey, this school still wants me.' "They said, 'Unfortunately, due to the publicity and circumstances, we have to do something to rectify it.' I was thinking something like having to stay on campus, and they said, 'No, it's got to be something stricter than that. We have to suspend you for one year of school.' "I really didn't want that, but com- ing from a strict upbringing, I under- stood you have to do things to your child to make him un- derstand right from wrong. Plus, we were examples for the whole school, the eyes of the nation were on us, and the University had to be a little stricter with their disciplinary rules. "I could have gone to Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska — they had contacted my mother and father and told them they were still interested. I told them Notre Dame was still the school I wanted to attend. I didn't enroll anywhere for the 1974- 75 school year. I went down to the School of Hard Knocks and did construction work in Indianapolis. I just stayed hard nosed and took my knocks." They were all readmitted in 1975. Hunter became the school's first sin- gle-season 1,000-yard rusher, although he would be expelled again prior to the 1977 season. Browner, Bradley and Fry led another national title campaign in 1977 as fifth-year seniors. ✦ Defensive end Ross Browner worked in construction during the 1974-75 school year before playing on his sec- ond national title squad at Notre Dame. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS