College football may be a more popular sport to watch on television than its sister rival NFL Football. And it also has a significant history, but of all the varsity teams that have fallen behind in that history, there is one team whose history rises above all others. That college is the University of Notre Dame, and their football team has a very storied pedigree, and their name is Fighting Irish.
The history of the Fighting Irish football team dates back to the year 1887, when the team had its first game and would also suffer its first loss to Michigan State. The team would get its first victory a year later, in 1888, against the Harvard football team. In total, before the beginning of the 20th century, Notre Dame had a record that included 31 wins, 15 losses, and 4 draws. This was accomplished between 1887 and the end of 1899. This was just the beginning of things to come for the Fighting Irish.
When Notre Dame and its soccer team entered the 20th century, the popularity of college football was on the rise. The introduction of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) brought a coherent approach to the way college football was played. Eventually, the IAAUS became known as the NCAA in 1910. During this time, Notre Dame would continue to enhance its winning efforts on the field of play by defeating Michigan again. Interestingly, after its second loss at the hands of Notre Dame, Michigan stubbornly refused to play the Fighting Irish and would not face them again for 33 years.
By the end of the 1912 college football season, they would be a dominant force in college football and rack up a season of victories. His record for that year included 108 wins, 31 losses and 13 draws to end his season. The history of Notre Dame includes a long list of inspiring football head coaches. Some of the names of these coaches include the names of Knute Rockne, whose story of player George Gipp who was nicknamed “the Gipper” prompted the phrase “win one for the gipper” in a halftime speech to his team when they needed it. hearing something that would strengthen his spirit and cause the defeat of an Army soccer team that until then had an undefeated season. Other names include Frank Leahy, Dan Devine, Lou Holtz, and probably one of the more memorable names Ara Parseghian.
Parseghian, would have a ride on the player named Daniel Ruettiger, who was nicknamed “Rudy” for what was then part of the Notre Dame scouting team, wearing a regular uniform after the Parseghian players insisted on this due to determination. and Ruettiger’s stubborn heart during the Fighting Irish’s 1974 season became an opportunity for Ruettiger to have one last chance to play in a home game that season. Ruettiger would be put in the game for just two plays at defensive end. No small feat for Ruettiger, who was 5’6 “and weighed a total weight of 165 pounds. To his credit, despite what could only be seen as an impossible mission to accomplish, Rudy on the second play would capture the quarterback. for Georgia Tech, Rudy Allen.
Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger would always be part of the history of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, as his life story would be translated into a movie called “Rudy” and that movie would become an instant classic and story of inspiration that is still viewed with much reverence today.