Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2019 81 STATE IMPACT Five years ago when BlueandGold. com rated the 50 states with the big- gest contributions to Notre Dame's football roster, Kentucky came in at No. 22. Per our research, 31 players from the Commonwealth have seen ac- tion at Notre Dame, with offensive lineman Hunter Bivin (Owensboro) — who is now the director of player development at his alma mater — the most recent from 2013-17. The 2018 roster did not have any- one from Kentucky, but the last two recruiting cycles have seen a resur- gence with the signing of freshman nose guard Jacob Lacey (Bowling Green) and a verbal commitment from 2020 tight end Michael Mayer (Alexandria). Lacey displayed advanced strength for his age as an early enrollee this spring and is expected to be part of the interior rotation this season, pos- sibly seeing the most snaps on of- fense or defense among any current Notre Dame freshmen. Mayer, currently ranked the na- tion's No. 58 prospect in 2020 by Ri- vals, was named the Seven-On-Seven Offensive MVP at the prestigious The Opening this summer. Until inking Lacey, Notre Dame had signed only four scholarship players from Kentucky since the turn of the century: defensive back Jake Carney (2002-05, Lexington), de- fensive lineman Brandon Newman (2008-11, Louisville), safety Austin Collinsworth (2010-14, Fort Thomas) and Bivin. ✦ 1. Paul Hornung (Louisville, 1954-56) They don't come better than the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner (despite a 2-8 record) who was the No. 1 overall selection in the NFL Draft. He also is one of only six Notre Dame players to be inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, joining Wayne Millner, George Con- nor, Alan Page, Dave Casper and Tim Brown. The Golden Boy played fullback in 1954 before moving to quarterback his last two seasons, but he also was a stalwart on defense and as a kicker and punter. 2. Jack Elder (Louisville, 1927-29) One of the world's top sprinters in his day, the left halfback's signature play came on defense when he intercepted an Army pass in the 1929 season finale and returned it 100 yards for a score in Notre Dame's 7-0 victory in Yankee Stadium that clinched the national title. We consider it among the top 10 most significant/timeless plays in Notre Dame history. In 1987, Elder received Notre Dame's Harvey Foster Man of the Year Award for distinguished service to the community and the university. 3. Leonard "Pete" Bahan (Somerset, 1917-19) The three-year starter captained Knute Rockne's first two teams in 1918-19 while getting overshadowed by the immortal George Gipp. The rare distinc- tion as a two-time captain saw him start at right halfback in 1917-18 before moving to quarterback for Rockne's first unbeaten team (9-0) in 1919. 4. Bernie Crimmins (Louisville, 1939-41) A backup running back his first two years, Crimmins earned first- or second- team All-America notice at guard from five different outlets for the 8-0-1 team in 1941, head coach Frank Leahy's first with the Irish. In World War II he earned a Silver Star and a Presidential Citation as a PT boat commander, and then was an assistant for Leahy from 1946-51 before becoming the head coach at Indiana (1952-56) and returning to Notre Dame again in 1957-58. 5. Bob Lehmann (Louisville, 1961-63) He joined Bahan as the second Irish captain from Kentucky when he held that title for interim coach Hugh Devore's 2-7 team in 1963. The guard/ linebacker recorded 197 career tackles, finishing second in that category in both 1962 (61) and 1963 (95). T6. Tony Driver (Louisville, 1997-2000) and Chris Brown (Owensboro, 1980-83) These two defensive backs had similar careers and both became sixth- round selections who played two seasons apiece in the NFL. Driver arrived as a USA Today first-team All-America running back recruit but shifted to safety as a sophomore and helped Notre Dame to 9-3 finishes in 1998 and 2000, recording 125 tackles, four interceptions and 12 passes broken up in those two campaigns. Brown played at nickel as a freshman for the 1980 unit that played No. 1 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, and later cornerback and safety. He totaled 83 tackles, 14 passes broken up and four interceptions his last two seasons. 8. Austin Collinsworth (Fort Thomas, 2010-14) Selected as one of the team captains as a fifth-year senior, Collinsworth joins Bahan and Lehmann with that distinction among Kentucky natives. He played in only five games that season because of injury, and also was side- lined all of 2012, but he amassed 81 tackles and three interceptions during his career and excelled on special teams. 9. Ed Ziegler (Woodlawn, 1967-69) The second-leading rusher for the 1969 Irish with 483 yards, he also caught two touchdown passes while averaging 16.6 yards on his seven catches. 10. Frank Jacobs (Highland Heights, 1987-89) The nation's top tight end recruit in 1987 finished with only four receptions in his career — one of them the final touchdown in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl national title win (34-21) over West Virginia. However, he played extensively in double tight-end sets that year with another No. 1 recruit, freshman tight end Derek Brown. A broken ankle midway through his junior season in 1989 led Jacobs to pursue a baseball career instead. — Lou Somogyi The Top 10 Notre Dame Players From Kentucky Hailing from Louisville, Paul Hornung is the most decorated player from Kentucky ever to play for the Irish. He won the 1956 Heisman Trophy and went on to become a Hall of Fame running back for the Green Bay Packers. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA