Notre Dame football has been one of the greatest programs throughout the history of the sport. The Fighting Irish have won championships, played in some all-time classic games, and had some amazing players in their program.
Not only has Notre Dame seen some incredible athletes come through their football program, but many of those stars have gone on to success in the NFL. Notre Dame has produced hundreds of NFL athletes over the last century.
The NFL is in the news recently with the season set to begin very shortly, opened up by the recent Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. It should be an exciting football season, for both college and the pros, and it brings up another great point about Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish have 14 alumni in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is tied for the most with USC. Star players in multiple eras on both sides of the ball have become legends of the game after starting their careers at Notre Dame.
Today we’re going to be taking a few moments to look back at each of those players, focusing mostly on what made them Hall of Famers in football lore. All of them starred at Notre Dame, with some starring more than half a century ago, and all of them deserved that enshrinement.
Before we actually begin those breakdowns, it’s important to note a special inclusion. Edward DeBartolo Jr., the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, is a graduate of Notre Dame who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 as a contributor. The rest of these names all played football with the Fighting Irish and starred in the NFL.
Which former Notre Dame football players are in the Professional Football Hall of Fame?
Jerome Bettis
Nicknamed “The Bus” due to his size and demeanor, Jerome Bettis was a Hall of Fame running back who played at Notre Dame in the early 90’s before a fantastic NFL career.
He was the 10th overall pick of the 1993 NFL Draft by way of the Los Angeles Rams but would be far more known for his decade playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and later Comeback Player of the Year for his first seasons in Pittsburgh, both 1400-yard rushing campaigns. That rookie year included a 212-yard game against New Orleans.
Bettis was named First Team All-Pro for both of those seasons and was one of the NFL’s best running backs of the 1990s, with 1000-yard rushing seasons in eight of his first nine years. He was also elected to six Pro Bowls and remained the Steelers’ running back until 2005.
While he was also an important back in the playoffs, scoring nine career postseason touchdowns, Bettis ended his career on the highest stage, helping the Steelers to win Super Bowl XL over the Seattle Seahawks.
Bettis didn’t have to wait too long to get the call to Canton, as he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. He even went back to Notre Dame to get his bachelor’s degree a few years ago, cementing a legacy for the Steelers and the Fighting Irish.
Tim Brown
When Tim Brown won the Heisman Award in 1987, Notre Dame already knew they had an amazing football player on campus, but this incredible athlete was just getting started.
Brown played wide receiver and also returned kicks during his career, leading him to be drafted 6th overall by the Los Angeles Raiders back in 1988. He would spend nearly his entire NFL career with the Raiders, spending sixteen years there before one final campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brown’s initial seasons weren’t very productive on offense, but he turned into quite the receiver in the mid-90s. He actually made a pair of Pro Bowls as a returner early in his career and would make 9 total trips.
Between 1993 and 2001, Brown had at least 1000 yards every season. In 2002, he played in a rough Super Bowl loss to his future team the Buccaneers, while racking up plenty of impressive performances throughout the 90s.
He was the key offensive piece for a decade for the Raiders and had an impressive run as both a kick and punt returner in his career. Like Bettis, he also got this ticket to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, with Brown having to wait a little over a decade for his bust.
Nick Buoniconti
Way back in 1961, Nick Buoniconti was an All-American offensive tackle at Notre Dame, but he switched to linebacker after leaving college. A 15-year Hall of Fame career would follow, highlighting the wisdom of this decision.
Buoniconti was taken in the 13th round of the AFL draft by the Boston Patriots and would star for them for the next seven years, becoming one of the greatest linebackers in franchise history. He’d then spend the back half of his career in Miami, going down in Dolphins history as well.
He was named First Team All-AFL five times early in his career and paid a pair of Pro Bowls in the NFL as well. Additionally, Buoniconti won both Super Bowls VII and VIII while playing with the Dolphins.
An impressive career that spanned over a decade included 32 interceptions and plenty of impactful tackles, though sacks were not yet an official statistic. He was also part of that 1972 Miami Dolphins team that remains the only undefeated Super Bowl champion.
Buoniconti struggled with neurological issues later in life and passed away in 2019, but he was alive to accept his place in the Hall of Fame, as he was voted in back in 2001. He remains a top-tier linebacker in football history and a legend for both the Patriots and the Dolphins.
Dave Casper
After growing up in the Midwest, Dave Casper became an All-American tight end at Notre Dame in the early 1970s after playing offensive tackle earlier in his career. He was voted the Fighting Irish’s offensive MVP during their 1973 national championship season.
Casper was drafted in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders and would play parts of eight of his eleven pro seasons with that franchise, also spending time with the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings.
Nicknamed “the Ghost”, Casper put up impressive numbers for a tight end back then, earning four consecutive First-Team All-Pro nods in the late 70s with the Raiders. He would average over 700 receiving yards in those four seasons and was voted into 5 Pro Bowls.
Most importantly, Casper played in and caught a touchdown during the Raiders’ Super Bowl XI victory over the Minnesota Vikings. His contributions were limited late in his career with those other teams, though he returned to the Raiders in 1984, his final season.
Casper had to wait until 2002 for his invitation to the Hall of Fame, but it was worth the wait for one of the best tight ends and pass catchers of the late 70s. He won a national championship and a Super Bowl and secured his place in football history.
George Connor
A native of Chicago, George Connor played football at Holy Cross before serving in World War II back in the 1940s. He’d finish his career at Notre Dame and would be a two-time All-American and a two-time national champion with the Fighting Irish.
Connor played linebacker and on the offensive line and signed with his hometown Chicago Bears after his collegiate career came to an end. He’d spend his entire eight-year career with the Bears.
He’d spend several seasons as the Bears’ left tackle and several as an outside linebacker as well. Connor’s career was very productive, as he was named First Team All-Pro for four straight years in the early 1950s, making the Pro Bowl each season as well.
An early legend of the game, he didn’t win an NFL title and played just a single postseason game, but Connor was a major force on both sides of the line with the Bears, going down as one of the finest players in their early history under George Halas.
After retiring in 1955, Connor worked as an analyst and waited until 1975 when he got his call from the Hall of Fame. He lived in Chicago for most of his adult life and died back in 2003, securing his place in the long history of both the Chicago Bears and Notre Dame football.
Paul Hornung
Way back in 1956, Paul Hornung won the Heisman Trophy while playing virtually everywhere, being quarterback, rusher, kicker, and punt returner for a Fighting Irish squad that wasn’t in great shape. This versatility and impressive talented earned him the nickname “The Golden Boy” and he’d continue his success in the NFL.
Hornung was the very first pick of the 1957 NFL Draft by way of the Green Bay Packers, where he’d have one impressive career. He spent much of that career under the great Vince Lombardi, where he was both a halfback and kicker for the Packers.
Not only were the Packers an impressive franchise during his career, he also was a legendary contributor. During the 1960 season, he won the MVP award, led the league in rushing touchdowns, and also handled the kicking duties for the Packers. The 176 points he scored that season stood as the NFL single-season record for nearly half a century.
A three-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, Hornung helped the Packers win four NFL titles, including victory in Super Bowl I to finish off his career.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame called his number in 1986, inducting one of the most versatile football players we’ve ever seen. Hornung was a major cog and talented scorer in Lombardi’s dynasty with the Packers for nearly a decade. Sadly, he passed away in 2020.
Earl Lambeau
Football legend Earl “Curly” Lambeau made Notre Dame’s football team over a century ago under the great Knute Rockne, though Lambeau never saw the field with the Fighting Irish.
While working at a packing company back in 1919, he helped found the Green Bay Packers and would serve as a player and/or coach with the franchise for more than thirty years.
He was a passer, rusher, and kicker at times during his decade of playing during the Packers’ first decade in the NFL, culminating in a championship in 1929, his final year as a player. During that time he was named All-Pro in three consecutive seasons.
His coaching legend lived on for a few more decades, and Lambeau would bring a total of six NFL titles to Green Bay, including a 3-peat between 1929 and 1931. Sure, the league was different and smaller back then, but Lambeau built the Packers franchise and turned them into title town.
Lambeau later coached briefly with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins before becoming part of the inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame class in 1963. He was one of the legends of the early game, responsible for the Packers’ initial framework and success.
Johnny McNally
Much like Lambeau, Johnny “Blood” McNally would spend time at Notre Dame but never play a snap for the Fighting Irish, eventually playing semi-professional ball before later graduating from the school.
McNally was a halfback whose NFL career started back in 1925 and spanned more than a decade. He played for a few now-defunct NFL franchises and the Pittsburgh Pirates (an early version of the Steelers), but had his best success during seven years with the Green Bay Packers.
While some of the stats are foggy from nearly a century ago, McNally was a valuable runner and pass-catcher, leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns in at least one of those seasons with the Packers.
During that time, he was also part of four NFL championships, including the previously mentioned Packers’ repeat between 1929 and 1931. He scored a number of touchdowns in his career, while also spending time as a passer and kicker at points as well.
Finishing off his football career as head coach for both the Steelers and St. John’s, McNally was part of the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1963. Nicknamed the “Vagabond Halfback,” he made quite the impression on the game of football in its early stages, especially with the Packers and Pirates.
Wayne Millner
A star at Notre Dame back in the mid-1930s, Wayne Millner was an All-American end who contributed to a ton of success for the Fighting Irish, especially during an impressive season in 1935.
He became the 65th pick of the 1936 NFL Draft by way of the Boston Redskins and would spend his entire career with that franchise. He actually played just seven seasons, with his career interrupted by World War II.
Millner was the left end for the Redskins and caught plenty of passes from the great Sammy Baugh. The franchise moved and won the NFL championship in 1937, their first season in Washington DC.
He made a significant impact as a pass catcher while in Washington before joining the Navy following the 1941 season. After six seasons among the top pass catchers in the league, he came back in 1945 for one final year before retiring.
Millner’s production isn’t comparable to today’s game, but he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1968, becoming one of the earliest former Notre Dame stars to get NFL enshrinement. He spent several years in coaching following his retirement and remains one of the legends in Redskins’ lore.
Joe Montana
There’s no question that “Joe Cool” had a Hall of Fame career, both with Notre Dame and in the NFL. Joe Montana quarterbacked the Fighting Irish to the national championship in 1977 and was part of the program for five seasons.
Montana was elected in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Across the next sixteen years, he’d become one of the most successful quarterbacks in the history of the league, ending his career in 1994 after a pair of seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was a fantastic passer, winning a pair of MVP awards, and leading the NFL in virtually every passing category at some point in his career, including completion percentage five such times. He threw for 273 touchdowns and just 139 interceptions in his career, though it’s the postseason that stands out.
Montana became the first quarterback to lead his team to four Super Bowl championships, winning titles in 1981, 1984, 1988, and 1989. That final title during Super Bowl XXIV saw him throw for 297 yards and 5 touchdowns in a rout of the Denver Broncos, earning him a third Super Bowl MVP honor.
One of the greatest players in the history of the NFL, Montana only had to wait until 2000 to earn his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He won a ton of games during a dominant run with the 49ers, had success at the end with the Chiefs, and remains one of the game’s most impactful players.
Alan Page
One of the finest defensive linemen to ever play the game, Alan Page was a dominant defensive tackle who starred at Notre Dame in the mid-1960s. He helped lead the Fighting Irish to national championships in 1964 and 1966 and was an All-American in his final year.
Page became the 15th pick of the 1967 NFL Draft and would spend the majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. While Page would spend his final three and a half seasons with the Chicago Bears, he truly became a legend in Minnesota over his first decade.
During an incredible career, Page was a 9-time Pro Bowler and was named First Team All-Pro on five different occasions. He was the NFL MVP in 1971 and won Defensive Player of the Year honors twice. His work at defensive tackle was of great importance to the Vikings’ success in the 70s.
With Page anchoring that defense, the Vikings would appear in four Super Bowls, though they would fall short in each of those appearances. Page was one of the most valuable defensive players of that era and played in 19 postseason games with the Vikings and Bears.
By 1988, Page was in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he wasn’t done building his legacy. He attended law school after his playing career ended and spent more than two decades in the Minnesota Supreme Court. Perhaps the best defensive player in Vikings history made quite the impact off the field in his adopted state.
George Trafton
Born at the tail end of the 19th century, George Trafton starred in the early days of Notre Dame football, winning a national championship for Knute Rockne’s squad way back in 1919. A prosperous career in the newly formed NFL would follow.
Trafton joined the Decatur Staleys in 1920 during the NFL’s first season and would spend more than a decade with that franchise that would become the Chicago Bears. Trafton was the starting center for most of the next twelve years, retiring from the league in 1932.
It’s hard to quantify offensive linemen, especially an entire century ago, but Trafton was named to several All-Pro teams and was one of the best linemen in the earliest days of the NFL.
He also helped lead the Bears to NFL championships in 1921 and 1932, becoming a key part of George Halas’s offensive game plan. He’s considered one of the greatest Chicago Bears of all time, even though he’d briefly served as a line coach with the Packers after his retirement.
Trafton was later an assistant coach, a boxer, and a promoter, and earned his place in the Hall of Fame in 1964, elected in the second-ever class. He revolutionized the position of center in the earliest days of football and his impact is felt even fifty years after his passing in 1971.
Bryant Young
Bryant Young is a defensive lineman from the suburbs of Chicago who starred at Notre Dame in the early 1990s, making him one of the most recent players on this list. He was a First Team All-American with the Fighting Irish in 1993 before an even more impressive NFL career.
Young was the 7th pick of the 1994 NFL Draft by way of the San Francisco 49ers and would spend his entire 14-year NFL career with that franchise. During that time, Young would become an anchor on that defensive line.
First and foremost, Young helped take the 49ers to victory in Super Bowl XXIX in his rookie season and would become a key part of their defense for years to come. He was First Team All-Pro in 1996 and was selected to four different Pro Bowls.
Young was named Comeback Player of the Year in 1999 and would remain a key part of the 49ers’ defense through 2007, though the franchise never experienced that postseason success again. Regardless, Young had 89.5 career sacks and plenty of game-changing plays during a legendary career in San Francisco.
Young is the most recent Notre Dame player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, getting the call last year in 2022. He secured his place in football history and was an important force during those fourteen seasons with the 49ers.
Notre Dame football is undefeated against these FBS teams
Notre Dame football has racked up win after win after win over the years but there are some teams out there that the Fighting Irish have dominated.