One-play man won the one for the Gipper
By Buddy Thomas Standard-Times staff writer.
It happened 67 years ago this month under a cold November sky above New York's famed Yankee Stadium. It was a day most modern day followers of Notre Dame football were too young to remember.
For the few that do, it's a day they'll probably never forget.
That was the day Notre Dame football took a giant step up the ladder of national recognition. The day the hero so few remember stepped into the spotlight.
His name was Johnny O'Brien -- a star hurdler in track who also happened to be a reserve end on the football team.
The date was Nov. 10, 1928 and Knute Rockne's injury-riddled Irish limped into New York's famed athletic field to take on unbeaten Army, the first of three rugged opponents on the final leg of a muderous schedule.
His team was 4-2 and struggling.
Rockne needed a win to get the critics off his back. He knew his team might not be able to win the game on talent, but Rockne was preparing it to win on emotion.
After pre-game warm-ups, Rockne huddled his players in the locker room, waiting until the room fell silent. Then, after lowering his head, Rockne began to speak.
He began to talk about George Gipp, a Notre Dame player who had died from streptococcic throat infection eight years before. And, in an emotion-packed pre-game talk, the coach repeated the young athlete's last wish.
"I've got to go, Rock," Gipp told Rockne. "It's all right. I'm not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy."
Rockne raised his head, looked directly at his team and continued.
"The day before he died, George Gipp asked me to wait until the situation seemed hopeless -- then ask a Notre Dame team to go out and beat Army for him. This is the day, and you are the team."
Rockne knew that if his team could beat Army, the Irish would avert a losing season.
But when Army jumped out to a 6-0 lead, the upset was in doubt.
When Jack Chevigny plunged into the end zone from a yard out to tie the score, the Notre Dame back jumped up and shouted: "That's one for the Gipper."
The emotion had been restored and when the Irish got the ball back, Chevigny engineered another march toward the end zone, leading his team into Army territory before going down with an injury.
Rockne was forced to go to his bench.
Bill Drew replaced Chevigny in the backfield. O'Brien also entered the game, taking the place of Johnny Cobuck at left end.
The Irish were 32 yards from the end zone when halfback Butch Niemiec took the ball, looked downfield and lofted a wobbly pass toward O'Brien who was standing on the 10-yard line. O'Brien had gotten behind the Army secondary and, after making the catch, the seldom-used reserve squeezed his way past two defenders into the end zone for the touchdown.
As O'Brien scored, the injured Chevigny began to cry along the sidelines. "That's one for the Gipper, too."
But the Irish weren't out of the woods.
Chris Cagle, Army's All-American, returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to the Notre Dame 10 where he collapsed from exhaustion. The man who had played the entire game had to be carried from the game on a stretcher.
The clock was running down as Dick Hutchinson carried the ball to the four. On the next play, Hutchinson lugged it to the one. But before the Cadets could get off another play, the gun sounded to end the game.
Notre Dame held on to win 12-6 and, despite dropping its next two games, avoided a losing season by finishing 5-4-0.
The following season, Rockne's Irish went 9-0-0, the first of back-to-back undefeated seasons.
After the touchdown reception, he never again played another down of football. But Johnny "One Play" O'Brien will forever be remembered for making what just may be the biggest touchdown reception in the history of Notre Dame football.
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read this again and again and you will know why Notre Dame will not lose by 12 tommorrow.
Tell me the players havn't talked about this disrespect. They talk about everything that Notre Dame stands for playing in their house.
Line out at -7 USC would have opened a can of whip ass on ND and they probably would have accepted it.
But tagging Notre Dame as 12 point underdogs
is a slap right to Rudy's never lose by two touchdowns face.
Its right thre for the taking.
Pride wins alot of money in sports wagering. That is if you can recognize the pride. The pride is standing tall. I can see the pride.
Anyway its worth a gamble to me.
When this game is over, I will meet you on Glory Rd, it runs right off Victory Lane and that is where I live.
