Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? that are really fast at defensive end.' " Parseghian was referring to Ross Browner and Willie Fry. Browner would lead the Irish line in tackles that year with 68 (15 for loss), while Fry would back up former linebacker Jim Stock at the other end. "They pushed Browner out a little wider, along with Stock and Fry in this alignment, because I could be right on the center," said Potempa, who also had future first-round picks Mike Fan- ning and Steve Niehaus flanking him as the tackles (an injury to Niehaus led to a tag-team of Kevin Nosbusch and George Hayduk in his place). "For some games it would be just better for me to drop back at line- backer. We'd switch around depend- ing on what was needed. It was really a blast to be able to play both." ated Press top 10 nationally each of Parseghian's first seven seasons from 1964-70, highlighted by the 1966 na- tional title, but fell to No. 13 in 1971 and No. 14 in 1972. Potempa had four tackles in 1971 The Irish had finished in the Associ- A MAGICAL SENIOR YEAR USC's 23-game unbeaten streak with a 23-14 victory while holding Davis to 55 yards on 19 carries. That game made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with Browner, linebacker Drew Ma- halic and Potempa's No. 40 eking into the picture of a gang tackle of Davis. "I was in class and a friend told me, during the regular season in which the Irish yielded only 66 points. In October, Notre Dame ended 'Hey, you're on Sports Illustrated!' " Po- tempa said. "I'm like, 'Yeah, right.' " The regular season ended with a 44-0 drubbing of Miami in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 1 — the first time since 1949 Notre Dame reached 10-0 — but the fun was just beginning for Potempa and his fiancé, Mary Pat. "We talked about getting married Potempa — who has run his own his own dental office in Libertyville, Ill., since 1980 — and his wife of 38 years, Mary, have five children and one grandchild. PHOTO COURTESY GARY POTEMPA but I told her, 'I'm not getting married until we finish our season,' " Potempa relayed. "She goes 'Okay' — so she planned it the week after the Miami game. I guess the bowl game in her mind didn't count. "We played at Miami, and then I and nine in 1972 … but he finished second his senior year in 1973 with 75 (behind linebacker Greg Collins) In The Blood Football and Emily have pursued career as lawyers, entrepreneurs and teachers, sons Dan and Jim have kept football in their blood. Dan played at Iowa State before transferring While Gary Potempa's daughters Erin, Sarah to Millikin (Ill.) University, where he is now the defensive coordinator. Current Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chuck Martin was the defensive coordinator at Millikin in 1996-97. Younger son Jim made the Michigan roster flew to Boston from there to get in- terviewed at Tufts for dental school. I came back, went to a couple of classes, and then went to Chicago to get mar- ried —and then I was back to take fi- nals on Monday morning." Next up was preparing for the big- newly formed World Football League, but didn't have his heart in it anymore after playing an exhibition game. Cal- gary of the CFL offered him a contract and plane fare, but Potempa nixed it. Where do you go after you've expe- rienced heaven? "My senior year, everything just fell gest game of his life, the Dec. 31, 1973, Sugar Bowl against Alabama. In one of the most pulsating championship games ever played — there were seven lead changes in the contest — Notre Dame emerged with a 24-23 victory, with Potempa recording 10 tackles (six solo). The memories of that New Year's Eve remain as fresh as ever. "Even this year when I watched Ala- as a 5-6 walk-on running back in 2007 before transferring to Eastern Illinois, where he led the conference champs in receiving in 2009 and rushing in 2010. He currently plays in Mexico. Ironically, Potempa's college debut came when he carried twice for nine yards in the 38-0 blowout of Notre Dame in 2007, with his parents in the stands. "He told me that while he was lining up bama playing LSU for the national ti- tle, I was thinking, 'Man, we beat those guys. We beat Alabama!' " Potempa exclaimed. Potempa and his new bride spent tempa said of the victory. The honeymoon was nice, too. he was thinking, 'Because it's a Notre Dame game, I could be running against you.' " Gary Potempa remembered. "I said, 'I'd kick your butt.' " www.BLUEANDGOLD.com but was accepted into dental school at Loyola of Chicago. The Houston Oilers were interested — Lou Somogyi in him as a free agent. He also received an invitation from Jacksonville of the Potempa went undrafted by the NFL BEYOND FOOTBALL into place, and I just didn't think any experience in football could top it," Potempa said. "I was ready to move on. I had put in the time academically, and I was a little disappointed about not getting drafted. That's probably why I didn't go to Houston. I was like, 'If they really wanted me, why didn't they draft me?' " While attending dental school, Po- tempa often was told by former team- mates like Casper, Fanning and oth- ers that he was better than a lot of the players in the league. "It was a little distressing hearing five extra days in New Orleans to cel- ebrate a belated honeymoon. "We were walking on clouds," Po- that," Potempa said. "I think it took me a good five years before I started think- ing, 'There's no way I could play now.' It was nerve-wracking to me to give up football. I don't think a day goes by where I don't think of football." Since graduation and settling in at Libertyville, Ill., in 1980 with his own dental office, Potempa has also been a high school football coach at Carmel Catholic in Mundelein, Ill. Among his pupils was Michael Hiestand, the son of current Irish offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, who was with the Chicago Bears at the time. Married now for 38 years and the fa- ther of five, with eldest daughter Erin a 1999 Notre Dame graduate, and the grandfather of one, Potempa has defi- nitely not been a one-year wonder. ✦ MAY 2012 61