Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/605097
TONY RICE (1988-89) "Notre Dame will never win a na- tional title with an option quarter- back," was the popular mantra prior to the 1988 season. College football was going the way of prolific passing attacks, such as the ones at Miami and Florida State, and Rice had completed only a Montana-esque 41.2 percent of his passes as a sophomore (35 of 85) in 1987, with one TD and four interceptions. Plus, he lost his starting job by the end of the year. The "People's Choice" was 6-5 pure passer Kent Graham, who received a national high school quarterback of the year award and who would play more than a decade in the NFL. Rice was considered an ideal prospect to convert to running back, receiver or defensive back. Yet with "stubborn" head coach Lou Holtz opting for Rice at the throttle, the Irish ended up winning a school- record 23 straight games and the 1988 national title. KEVIN MCDOUGAL (1993) After caddying three years behind No. 2 NFL pick Rick Mirer, and even dropping to third team at one point, McDougal then fell behind freshman and national prep player of the year Ron Powlus during the preseason. JOE MONTANA (1977) He entered his senior year on the third team, following a marginal spring game and after missing all of the previ- ous season because of shoul- der surgery. His career ledger was 1-2 as a starter, and he had completed 42.4 percent of his 66 passes, with only four touchdowns and eight inter- ceptions. In game three of '77, Mon- tana rescued the Irish from a 24-14 fourth-quarter deficit to win at Purdue — and then spearheaded the national title march. Unlike the others on this list, Montana's NFL career was even more esteemed than his collegiate one … but who would have thought it early in his senior year? Joe Montana entered his senior year in 1977 on the third team and with his career seemingly down the drain, but he wound up leading the Irish to the national title with a win over No. 1 Texas in the 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS