John Heisler

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Firsts

The Players, Moments, and Records That Were First in Team History

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Every tradition starts with a first—and Notre Dame football has more than a century’s worth of them. In the 135-year history of the University of Notre Dame football, fans have been treated to countless firsts: the first team coach (James L. Morison), the first Notre Dame player to win the Heisman Trophy (Angelo Bertelli), the first Outland Trophy winner (George Connor), the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons (Allen Pinkett), and the first to pass for more than 10,000 career yards (Brady Quinn). The list goes on. In Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Firsts, John Heisler presents the stories behind the firsts in Fighting Irish history in question-and-answer format. More than a mere trivia book, Heisler’s collection includes substantive answers to the question of “who was the first…?” on a variety of topics, many of which will surprise even seasoned fans of the Golden Domers.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Rowman & Littlefield
• Seitenzahl: 280
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. Oktober 2026
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm
• ISBN-13: 9781493073498
• ISBN-10: 1493073494
• Artikelnr.: 64172172

Autorenporträt

By John Heisler

Inhaltsangabe

Contents
Preface: Ode to Charlie and ROV
I. First Quarter: Single-Game Firsts
1. Who was the first Notre Dame kicker with five field goals in one game?
2. Who was the first Notre Dame player with two fumble returns for
touchdowns in the same game?
3. Who was the first Notre Dame player to record four sacks in a game?
4. What two Notre Dame players were the first 100-yard receiving tandem in
a single game?
5. Who was the first Notre Dame player to gain at least 300 all-purpose
yards in a game?
6. Who was the first Notre Dame player to average 50 yards a punt in a
game?
7. Who was the first Irish player to record 25 tackles in a game?
8. Who was the first Notre Dame back to rush for 200 yards?
9. Who was the first Irish player to rush the ball 40 times in a game?
10. Who was the first Irish quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game?
11. Who was the first Notre Dame quarterback to throw for 500 yards in a
game?
12A. Who was the first Notre Dame quarterback to notch four rushing
touchdowns in a game?
12B. Who was the first Irish quarterback to rush for at least 200 yards in
a game?
12C. What was the first tandem of Notre Dame backs to rush for at least 200
yards in the same game?
13. Who was the first Notre Dame player and running back to have 200
receiving yards in a game?
14. Who was the first Notre Dame wide receiver to account for 200 receiving
yards in a game?
15. Who was the first Notre Dame wide receiver with 250 yards in one game?
16. Who scored the first touchdown for Notre Dame?
17. Who kicked the first 50-yard field goal for Notre Dame?
18. Who was the first Notre Dame player to rush for 250 yards in a game?
19A. Who was the first Notre Dame receiver to catch four touchdown passes
in a game?
19B. Who was the first Notre Dame quarterback to throw six touchdown passes
in a game?
19C. What was the first time Notre Dame had two receivers with at least 10
catches in a game?
20. Who was the first Notre Dame tight end to record a 100-yard receiving
game?
21. Who was the first Notre Dame player to rush for two touchdowns and
catch two touchdown passes in the same game?
 
II. Second Quarter: Single-Season Firsts
1.Who was the first Notre Dame player to kick 20 field goals in a season?
2. Who was the first Notre Dame player to score 20 touchdowns in a season?
3. Who was the first Notre Dame player to make 150 tackles in a season?
4. Who was the first Notre Dame player to intercept 10 passes in a season?
5. Who was the first Notre Dame player to catch 12 TD passes and have 1,200
receiving yards in a season?
6. Who was the first Notre Dame player to catch 100 passes in a season?
7. Who was the first Notre Dame player to rush for 15 TDs in a season?
8. Who was the first Notre Dame player to throw for 20 touchdown passes and
3,000 yards in a season?
9. Who was the first Notre Dame player with a 1,000-yard rushing season?
10. Who was the first Notre Dame player with a 2,000-yard passing season?
11. Who was the first Notre Dame player with a 1,000-yard receiving season?
12. Who was the first Notre Dame player with more than 1,700 all-purpose
yards in a season?
13. Who was the first Notre Dame player with 100 tackles in a season?
14. Which was the first Notre Dame team to receive national championship
mention?
15. Which was the first Notre Dame team to receive consensus national
championship recognition?
16. Which was the first Notre Dame team to average 500 yards per game?
17. Which was the first Notre Dame team with five punt-return touchdowns in
a season?
18. Who was the first Notre Dame player to lead the NCAA in rushing?
19. Who was the first Notre Dame player to lead the NCAA in punt returns?
20. Who was the first Notre Dame player to lead the NCAA in interceptions?
21. Who was the first Notre Dame player to lead the NCAA in kick scoring?
22. Who was the first Notre Dame player to lead the nation in kickoff
returns?
23. Which was the first Notre Dame team to lead the NCAA in total offense?
24. Which was the first Notre Dame team to lead the NCAA in scoring?
25. Which was the first Notre Dame team to average at least 200 yards
rushing and 200 yards passing in the same season?
26.Which was the first Notre Dame team to lead the NCAA in punt returns?
27. Which was the first Notre Dame team to lead the NCAA in kickoff
returns?
28. Which was the first Notre Dame team to lead the NCAA in total defense
and scoring defense?
29. Which was the first Notre Dame team to lead the NCAA in rushing
defense?
30. Which was the first Notre Dame team to win a bowl game?
III. Third Quarter: Career Firsts
1.Who was the first Notre Dame player to rush for 2,500 career yards?
2. Who was the first Notre Dame running back to rush for 3,000 career
yards?
3. Who was the first Notre Dame player to rush for 4,000 career yards?
4. Who was the first Notre Dame player to rush for 30 career TDs?
5. Who was the first Notre Dame player to score 50 career touchdowns?
6. Who was the first Notre Dame running back to average at least 7.0 career
yards per rush?
7. Who was the first Notre Dame player to throw for 5,000 career yards?
8. Who was the first Notre Dame player to throw for 10,000 career yards?
9. Who was the first Notre Dame player to throw 50 career TD passes?
10. Who was the first Notre Dame player to complete 60 percent of his
career passes (minimum 150 attempts)?
11. Who was the first Notre Dame player to catch 150 career passes?
12. Who was the first Notre Dame tight end to catch 100 career passes?
13. Who was the first Notre Dame player to catch 25 touchdown passes in a
career?
14. Who was the first Notre Dame player to have 2,500 career receiving
yards?
15. Who was the first Notre Dame receiver to reach 3,000 yards in a career?
16. Who was the first and only Notre Dame player to have at least 1,000
career yards rushing and 1,000 career yards receiving?
17. Who was the first Notre Dame player to score 300 points?
18. Who was the first Notre Dame player to kick 50 field goals?
19. Who was the first Notre Dame player to make 100 consecutive extra
points?
20. Who was the first Notre Dame kicker to score 200 points?
21. Who was the first Notre Dame player to make 350 career tackles?
22. Who was the first Notre Dame player with 500 career tackles?
23. Who was the first Notre Dame defensive player to record 50 career
tackles for loss?
24. Who was the first Notre Dame player with 25 career passes broken up?
25. Who was the first Notre Dame player to make 10 career interceptions?
26. Who was the first Notre Dame player to have 250 career interception
return yards?
27. Who was the first Notre Dame player to return three career
interceptions for touchdowns?
28. Who was the first Notre Dame player to have 700 career punt-return
yards?
29. Who was the first Notre Dame player to return three punts for
touchdowns in a career?
30. Who was the first Notre Dame player with 1,000 career kickoff-return
yard
31. Who was the first Notre Dame player to return five career kickoffs for
touchdowns?
32. Who was the first Notre Dame player to have 2,000 career combined
kick-return yards?
33. Who was the first Notre Dame player with nine career touchdowns on
returns?
34. Who was Notre Dame’s initial first-team All-America selection?
35. Who was Notre Dame’s first two-time, first-team All-American?
36. Who was Notre Dame’s first two-time, unanimous first-team All-American?
37. Who was Notre Dame’s first three-time, first-team All-American?
38. What was the first season Notre Dame played the most difficult schedule
in the country, as rated by the NCAA?
IV. Fourth Quarter: Coaching Firsts 
1.Who was the first Notre Dame coach to beat a ranked and No. 1 team?
2. Who was the first Notre Dame coach to win an overtime game?
3. Who was the first Notre Dame head coach to serve as commissioner of the
NFL?
4. Who was the first Notre Dame assistant coach to have the title defensive
coordinator?
5. Who was the first Notre Dame assistant coach to have the title offensive
coordinator?
6A. What Notre Dame head football coach was the first to later become head
coach of a National Football League team?
6B. Who was the initial first-team All-America Notre Dame player to later
become the Notre Dame head coach?
7. Who was the first Notre Dame coach to win a national championship?
8A. Who was the first Notre Dame coach to win an Associated Press national
championship?
8B. Who was the first Notre Dame coach to beat five teams ranked in the top
20 of the Associated Press poll in the same season?
9. Who was the first non-graduate of Notre Dame to coach the program to a
national championship?
10. Who was the first Notre Dame coach to beat a #1 ranked team on the
road?
11. Who was the first Notre Dame head coach to come to Notre Dame directly
from a head coaching position in the NFL?
12. Who was the first Notre Dame head coach to defeat three No. 1-ranked
teams?
13. Who was the first Notre Dame coach to bring Notre Dame from fifth to
first in the final Associated Press poll to win a national championship?
14. Who was the first Notre Dame head coach to lead Notre Dame to the Bowl
Championship Series National Championship game?
15. Who was the first Notre Dame coach to have a perfect season?
16. Who was the first Notre Dame coach to win 14 games in a season?
17. Who was the first former Notre Dame player to win in Notre Dame Stadium
as the opposing coach?
18. Who was the first future Notre Dame basketball head coach to coach a
football game against Notre Dame?
 
V. Overtime: Miscellaneous Firsts
1. What was the first year two Notre Dame linemen finished in the top five
of the Heisman Trophy voting?
2A. Who was the first Notre Dame player to finish in the top five of the
Heisman Trophy voting?
2B. Who was the first Notre Dame player selected in the NFL Draft?
3. Who was the first Notre Dame player to finish in the top 10 of the
Heisman Trophy voting three times?
4. Who was Notre Dame’s first letter-winning Black football player?
5. Who was Notre Dame’s first Black All-American?
6. Who was Notre Dame’s first Black quarterback?
7. Who was Notre Dame’s first Black head coach?
8. Who was the first Notre Dame player to appear on the cover of Sports
Illustrated?
9. Who was the first Notre Dame player to appear on the cover of Sports
Illustrated three times in one season?
10. Who was the first Notre Dame player to appear on the cover of The
Sporting News?
11. Who were the first Notre Dame players to appear on the covers of TIME,
LIFE and LOOK  magazines?
12. Who was the Notre Dame’s first official NCAA All-America player?
13. Who was Notre Dame’s first Associated Press first-team All-American?
14. Who was the first Lombardi Award winner from Notre Dame?
15. Who was the first Outland Trophy winner from Notre Dame?
16. Who were the first Notre Dame players selected in the American Football
League Draft?
17. Who was the first Notre Dame player selected for the Pro Football Hall
of Fame as a player?
18. Who was the first former Notre Dame player inducted into Pro Football
Hall of Fame as a coach or administrator?
19. Who was the first Notre Dame player selected to the CoSIDA Academic
All-America Hall of Fame?
20. Who was the first Notre Dame player named first-team Academic
All-American
21. Who were the first Notre Dame National Football Foundation College
Football Hall of Fame inductees?
22. When was the first time Notre Dame played against an eventual Heisman
Trophy winner?
23. When was the first time Notre Dame came into a game ranked No. 1?
24. When was the first time Notre Dame played in a No. 1 vs. No. 2
(Associated Press poll) game?
25. Who was the first Notre Dame player to play in the Super Bowl?
26. Who was the first Notre Dame player to play in four Super Bowls?
27. Who was the first former Notre Dame quarterback to start in the Super
Bowl?
28. Who was the first former Notre Dame player to score a touchdown in the
Super Bowl?
More Miscellaneous Items
1. Who were the first female Notre Dame cheerleaders?
2. Who was the first leprechaun mascot at Notre Dame?
3. Who was the first Notre Dame football player to become Notre Dame
president?
4. What was the first Notre Dame football game nationally televised?
5. What was the first Notre Dame home game televised by NBC?
6. Who was the first Notre Dame football All-American to pitch in the Major
Leagues?
7. Who was the first Notre Dame football player to be selected in the Major
League Baseball Draft?
8. Who was the first Notre Dame football player to play on an Irish
national championship team in another sport:
9. Who was the first walk-on Notre Dame player to have a movie made about
him?