Notre Dame Football: Top 10 Quarterbacks In Modern Fighting Irish History
#4 Joe Theismann 1967-1970
By just a couple years, Joe Theismann makes this list for the past 50 years. Joe came in for an injured Terry Hanratty and won a few games at the end of the season for the Irish. Joe was a true pocket passer for the Irish and established himself as a national threat with the ball in his hands.
Theismann only lost three games as a starter for the Irish, and won 20. Theisman set single season records for yards and touchdowns for the Irish, and in one game- one GIGANTIC game against the rival USC Trojans, he threw for 526 yards. 526 yards in an era when 300 yards was jaw-dropping.
One of Joe’s bigger claims to fame is when he changed his name a bit his senior year to rhyme with “Heisman” as he and the school were making a big push to bring the Heisman Trophy back to Notre Dame. Sadly, the other most well known thing about Joe was how his playing career ended with a gruesome leg injury after being sacked by Lawrence Taylor. Despite all of this, in South Bend he was and is known as a wizard with the football and made all the trows he needed.
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