Knute Rockne Statue

When the going gets tough and you are really up against it, are you going to be inspired to go out and try your hardest by being told to "win one for George"? Of course not. But with your back against the wall, if you were told to go out and "win one for the Gipper," then you just might give your all and achieve success.

Knute Rockne (pronounced Kuh-NOOT Rock-nee) is memorialized on the Notre Dame campus with a statue of the legendary coach outside the football stadium gate named in his honor. In 13 seasons, from 1918 to 1930, Rockne led Notre Dame to 105 wins, 12 losses, and 5 ties, along with three national championships. As a player from 1911 to 1913, Rockne and Notre Dame compiled a record of 19 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie, including an undefeated 7-0 season in 1912. Those are amazing records for both a player and a young coach.

Rockne was born in Norway in 1888 and died in a plane crash in Kansas in 1931. He was married and had four children. He has been honored not only in the United States but also in his hometown of Voss, Norway, with a bronze statue. Rockne was known as an innovative coach, making the forward pass a regular part of the offense, emphasizing physical conditioning, and using game film to analyze opposing teams.

Now, back to the Gipper. As the story goes, in 1920 George Gipp, "The Gipper," a great Notre Dame player, was on his deathbed. He supposedly made an impassioned plea to Rockne to someday have the team "win just one for the Gipper." Rockne held onto those words until November 10, 1928, when, in the midst of his worst season as a coach, Notre Dame desperately needed a victory. At halftime, Rockne told his team about Gipp and shared his inspirational words. The team rallied against the Army Cadets and won the game 12-6.

Historians are uncertain exactly how the 1920 conversation between Rockne and Gipp unfolded, but the story has become part of Notre Dame lore and was featured in the 1940 movie Knute Rockne, All American. Interestingly, future United States President Ronald Reagan played the Gipper in the film and later used "Win One for the Gipper" as a campaign slogan.