Lou Holtz was undoubtedly a Notre Dame football legend, having won a national championship in 1988 — two if you count the unclaimed 1989 national championship season, though Miami fans certainly don’t feel that’s a legitimate one — but also producing NFL talent all over the depth chart.
While not every Holtz-coached Notre Dame draft prospect panned out in the pros, South Bend witnessed countless all-time college careers during a span that saw the Fighting Irish finish with a double-digit win total five of those seasons.
Here is the definitive Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team QB: Rick Mirer
1993 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 2
Seattle Seahawks, 1993–1996
Chicago Bears, 1997
Green Bay Packers, 1998
New York Jets, 1999
San Francisco 49ers, 2000–2001
Oakland Raiders, 2002–2003
Detroit Lions, 2004
Rick Mirer was a backup on the 1989 Orange Bowl champions that only lost to Miami, but his next three seasons in South Bend made him a top NFL draft pick. Mirer had a 29-7-1 record as a starter, having been part of a four-year era of the Fighting Irish in which there were less than 10 wins in just one campaign.
The Goshen, Indiana native was responsible for more points running and passing (350) than any other player in the history of the program. As one of the key components in the best Fighting Irish backfield ever, Mirer was a dual threat who was way ahead of his time in college football history.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team RB: Jerome Bettis
1993 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 10
Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1993–1995
Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996–2005
The other half of that dynamic backfield was the man affectionately known as “the Bus,” Jerome Bettis. Bettis’ NFL career was so dominant that history will view him through the lens of an NFL great, specifically because of his stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers. With that said, though, his dominance in South Bend was historical.
Bettis set the Notre Dame touchdown record with 20 in one season (16 rushing, four receiving) during his sophomore season, and in three seasons with the Fighting Irish, Bettis’ teams amassed 29 wins. With two Sugar Bowl wins and an Orange Bowl triumph during his time in South Bend, Bettis was one of the all-time winners in Notre Dame’s backfield.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team WR: Rocket Ismail
1991 NFL Draft: Round 4, Pick 100
Toronto Argonauts, 1991–1992
Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders, 1993–1995
Carolina Panthers, 1996–1998
Dallas Cowboys, 1999–2002
Rocket Ismail made one of the more shocking career moves during his time, signing with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League due to a historic offer ($18.2 million over four years) that the NFL couldn’t match at the time. Perhaps it’s not shocking to see a pro athlete take the bigger payday, but it is always an upset when a collegiate player ends up anywhere but the NFL.
Ismail would’ve been the top pick had he not ended up in Canada, but regardless, his legacy is secure as an All-American at Notre Dame who stuck around in pro football for 11 years after being drafted.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team WR: Tim Brown
1988 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 6
Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 1988–2003
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004
Tim Brown was one of the few wideouts in the history of college football, and one of only three in the past 25 seasons, to have won the Heisman trophy. That in and of itself makes Brown one of the all-time greats at the position in the college ranks.
Brown just missed out on the Fighting Irish’s primary boom period under Holtz, but his individual greatness was undeniable during his time in South Bend despite the program’s down years from 1984 to 1987.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team WR: Derrick Mayes
1996 NFL Draft: Round 2, Pick 56
Green Bay Packers, 1996–1998
Seattle Seahawks, 1999–2000
Kansas City Chiefs, 2001 (did not make team)
Derrick Mayes found himself at the right place at the right time frequently, having achieved the record for the most touchdown receptions in the history of Fighting Irish football program for 11 years. Mayes’ TD catch record would be broken in 2005 by MLB star pitcher Jeff Samardzija.
Mayes didn’t have the longest NFL career, having stuck in the league for five seasons and only having one standout season in 1999 in which the Indianapolis native scored 10 touchdowns. But his greatness during the 1994 and 1995 seasons solidified his standing in South Bend’s lore.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team TE: Irv Smith
1993 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 20
New Orleans Saints, 1993–1997
San Francisco 49ers, 1998
Cleveland Browns, 1999
Irv Smith played during an era in which tight ends were used more frequently as blockers than they were relied on in the passing game, but Smith still became a first-round pick following the 1992 season. Smith actually became more of a passing game threat in the NFL, where he hauled in 1,788 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over a seven-year career.
The kind of modern tight end product previously described is Smith’s son, Irv Smith Jr., who played at Alabama and ended up becoming a second-round pick. Smith Jr. is already at 858 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through three seasons, making it likely the son meets or exceeds his father’s career in Notre Dame.
Smith Sr. probably doesn’t see that as a bad thing, though.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team C: Tim Grunhard
1990 NFL Draft: Round 2, Pick 40
Kansas City Chiefs, 1990–2000
Tim Grunhard spent a decade with the Kansas City Chiefs after being a part of Holtz’ first-ever Notre Dame recruiting class in 1986, and during the 1988 season, the Fighting Irish ran the table and became national champions.
As Grunhard shared in his 2022 book, “View from the Center: My Football Life and the Rebirth of Chiefs Kingdom,” Holtz let him and his recruiting classmates know where they stood in the legendary coach’s eyes.
“I just want to tell you guys one thing: If I had one more month of recruiting, none of your a–es would’ve been here,” Holtz told Grunhard and co. (h/t Notre Dame Insider).
Grunhard received the message loud and clear, delivering a championship-worthy performance at the center position just two years later.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team OT: Andy Heck
1989 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 15
Seattle Seahawks, 1989–1993
Chicago Bears, 1994–1998
Washington Redskins, 1999–2000
Continuing with longtime members of the Kansas City Chiefs, current KC offensive line coach Andy Heck — who has been with the franchise for three Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl wins in the last decade — lasted 12 years in the league, splitting his first decade with the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears before finishing up with Washington.
The Fairfax, Virginia native was a national champion who played his way into a top-15 selection in the 1989 draft. Heck, like Irv Smith, now has a son playing the same position in the NFL. Charlie Heck, unlike his father, played at UNC.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team OT: Aaron Taylor
1994 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 16
Green Bay Packers, 1994–1997
San Diego Chargers, 1998–1999
Aaron Taylor won the Lombardi Award in 1993 as one of two offensive tackles since 1990, the other being Orlando Pace who won it twice, showing just how dominant the San Francisco native was during his time in South Bend.
Perhaps most known for his protection of Brett Favre during the Green Bay Packers’ Super Bowl XXXI run in 1997, Taylor helped Mirer and Betts become stars at their respective positions at Notre Dame, leading to all three being first-round draft picks in 1993 and 1994 in Taylor’s case.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team OG: Lindsay Knapp
1993 NFL Draft: Round 5, Pick 130
Kansas City Chiefs, 1993–1994
Green Bay Packers, 1995–1996
Lindsay Knapp was a teammate of two other all-time Holtz team members: Grunhard with the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor with the Green Bay Packers. While he was never the most standout lineman in the Fighting Irish offensive trenches, Knapp was a solid hand who also went a long way in boosting Bettis and Mirer.
Knapp didn’t have a long NFL career, leaving the sport entirely after four pro seasons to pursue a career in sales. Still, he was on some of Notre Dame’s greatest teams, making him a natural fit for this one.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team OG: Tim Ryan
1991 NFL Draft: Round 5, Pick 136
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1991–1993
Tim Ryan had an even shorter NFL career than Knapp, but Ryan was along the offensive line for Notre Dame for some of the greatest seasons of the Holtz era, including a championship campaign — earning a spot at a position that was never as well-developed in the program as the other two offensive line spots during that time period.
Even still, Ryan played the position well and came to South Bend as a celebrated athlete from the Kansas City metropolitan area, earning the Simone Award his senior season at Rockhurst High School.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team DE: Renaldo Wynn
1997 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 21
Jacksonville Jaguars, 1997–2001
Washington Redskins, 2002–2006
New Orleans Saints, 2007
New York Giants, 2008
Washington Redskins, 2009
Omaha Nighthawks, 2010
Renaldo Wynn was an All-Rookie during his first NFL season and would go on to play for 14 seasons professionally, but his time at Notre Dame will ultimately define his greatness in the sport as opposed to an NFL career that peaked in his youth.
Wynn was honored as the Fighting Irish’s Most Valuable Player his fifth season — the Chicago native redshirted his freshman year in South Bend — and was that college football season’s Lineman of the Year.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team DE: Oliver Gibson
1995 NFL Draft: Round 4, Pick 120
Pittsburgh Steelers, 1995–1998
Cincinnati Bengals, 1999–2003
Oliver Gibson was a solid hand in the NFL, having amassed 243 tackles, 17.5 sacks, and an interception during his nine-year career at the pro level. At Notre Dame, Gibson, like Wynn, repped the Chicago area well.
Sticking on with two AFC North rivals in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, Gibson will go down as a member of the Fighting Irish’s fearsome defensive front more than either of his NFL employers.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team DT: Chris Zorich
1991 NFL Draft: Round 2, Pick 49
Chicago Bears, 1991-1997
Washington Redskins, 1997
Chris Zorich’s Notre Dame career peaked at the 1991 Orange Bowl when he was named MVP of the game. There were many great memories though, not for opposing QBs, RBs, TEs, and WRs, but for the Fighting Irish faithful during a four-year career that saw him named a consensus All-American twice.
Zorich wasn’t quite the same force in the NFL, but he has continued to be a proud ND alum who even went back to school in 1993 — while he was still a member of the Chicago Bears — to receive a J.D. from the university.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team DT: Bryant Young
1994 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 7
San Francisco 49ers, 1994–2007
Bryant Young didn’t have the collegiate accomplishments Zorich did — though being named an All-American “just” once is certainly nothing to sleep on either — but he became a San Francisco 49ers legend by being named as an All-Pro 4x and helping lead the franchise to a Super Bowl XXIX victory in 1994/1995.
With that said, that 1993 senior year in South Bend was special: Young amassed 6.5 sacks and 67 tackles en route to an All-American Honorable Mention.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team LB: Frank Stams
1989 NFL Draft: Round 2, Pick 45
Los Angeles Rams, 1989–1991
Cleveland Browns, 1992–1995
Kansas City Chiefs, 1995
Before LeBron James ever became “The Chosen One” at St. Vincent-St. Mary, Frank Stams was leading the Akron, Ohio Fighting Irish to back-to-back state championships. This set the stage for a Notre Dame Fighting Irish career in which the 240-pounder was a consensus All-American and a national champion.
While Stams never achieved the same individual or team success in the NFL, he did stick around the pro ranks for seven years.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team LB: Wesley Pritchett
1989 NFL Draft: Round 6, Pick 147
Miami Dolphins, 1989
Buffalo Bills, 1989-1990
Atlanta Falcons, 1991
Wes Pritchett was one of the integral members of the Notre Dame defense during their national championship season in 1988, leading the team in tackles and being named an All-American that season.
While Pritchett’s NFL career was largely forgettable, spending less than two seasons on three different teams before leaving the sport altogether and becoming a financial advisor, his time in South Bend will never be forgotten.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team LB: Devon McDonald
1993 NFL Draft: Round 4, Pick 107
Indianapolis Colts, 1993–1995
Arizona Cardinals, 1996
Tampa Bay Storm, 2000–2002
Devon McDonald was a team captain during an era of Notre Dame football in which many leaders went on to become great in the NFL. McDonald was a Cotton Bowl MVP and an All-American Honorable Mention during his career in South Bend.
As another great Fighting Irish prospect who didn’t replicate the same success, McDonald is a Notre Dame legend all the same.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team CB: Todd Lyght
1991 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 5
Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1991–2000
Detroit Lions, 2001–2002
Todd Lyght experienced success at both the collegiate and professional levels, being named a consensus All-American twice during his Notre Dame career and then being named an All-Pro and being part of the Super Bowl XXXIV champions with the St. Louis Rams.
Amassing 161 tackles, 20.5 pass deflections, and 11 interceptions over a storied career in South Bend, Lyght parlayed an impressive playing career into coaching stints at the Power Five ranks and in the NFL.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team CB: Jeff Burris
1994 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 27
Buffalo Bills, 1994–1997
Indianapolis Colts, 1998–2001
Cincinnati Bengals, 2002–2003
Jeff Burris saw the most successful two years of his career in his final season at Notre Dame when he was an All-American for the 1993 season, followed by his rookie season in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. Burris was one of the three first-round picks of the 1994 draft from the Fighting Irish.
After a playing career that spanned a decade, Burris has had an even longer career in the coaching realm. In 2016, Burris returned to South Bend as a defensive analyst, but he’s moved on to be a DB/CB coach at the FCS and Group of Five levels.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team S: Pat Terrell
1990 NFL Draft: Round 2, Pick 49
Los Angeles Rams, 1990–1993
New York Jets, 1994
Carolina Panthers, 1995–1997
Green Bay Packers, 1998
Pat Terrell had the national championship season-saving catch of the famed “Catholics vs. Convicts” matchup against Miami on a two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter — one that paved the way for the last championship the program has won.
In the NFL, he stuck around for nine seasons while starting for half of those games. A man best-known for the unforgettable moments he caused/was part of, Terrell had enough of them to stick around in the minds of Fighting Irish fans that watched the ’88 team.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team S: Stan Smagala
1990 NFL Draft: Round 5, Pick 123
Dallas Cowboys, 1990–1991
Pittsburgh Steelers, 1992
Stan Smagala was a man of many positions. At Notre Dame, he was converted from running back to the cornerback spot by Holtz, and in the NFL, he’d later play all over the secondary as a strong safety as well.
Though he didn’t last long in the pro ranks, Smagala had a number of moments — including a pick-six against USC during the 1988 season — that solidify his spot in the secondary on the all-time Holtz team.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team PK: Reggie Ho
Reggie Ho was slight of stature but not short on legacy at Notre Dame, earning the distinction of having had the Fighting Irish’s 19-17 victory over Michigan that season named after him as the “Reggie Ho Game.”
One Foot Down’s Matt Greene beautifully commemorated the landmark victory by calling Ho a Hero.
“Reggie became a hero for Notre Dame against Michigan in 1988,” Greene prefaced before saying, “In a game that ended with a 19-17 Irish victory, Reggie Ho kicked four field goals to add to the one Irish touchdown.”
Ho finished the Fighting Irish’s championship season having converted 32/36 PATs and 9/12 field goals.
Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team P: Craig Hentrich
1993 NFL Draft: Round 8, Pick 200
New York Jets, 1993 (did not make team)
Green Bay Packers, 1993–1997
Tennessee Oilers/Titans, 1998–2009
To get drafted as a punter or place kicker is truly an accomplishment on its own, speaking to Craig Hentrich’s success in South Bend. Hentrich played both positions for the Fighting Irish during a four-year career in which he made 177/180 PATs.
Truthfully, Holtz could rely on Hentrich for both, though no all-time Holtz-era Notre Dame team could exclude Ho. Either way, Hentrich’s staying power in the NFL was proof enough that he was great at his position.
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