Onward to Victory: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

For today's selection, we head back to the time 'before Rockne' to celebrate a duo of friends and teammates who helped turn the tide of the Notre Dame football - and who just may have stirred up some serious eligibility controversy along the way! To be fair, there were very few rules regarding this then.

Dimick and Philbrook, members of the excellent 1909 team that was first dubbed the 'Fighting Irish', distinguished themselves as Notre Dame men. One died an incredibly tragic death, while the other experienced the triumph of a lifetime just mere months later. Enjoy!

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Buckle up those chinstraps, Irish fans - it's the fourth annual season preview episode! Join hosts Alex Painter and Matt Gehring as they break down, position group by position group, your 2022 Fighting Irish. 

Also included in the preview is preseason team awards, record predictions, and our hosts 'sound off' on a few topics of their choice. You simply can't miss this one as you ready yourself for the 2022 campaign! Enjoy!

Want to donate to the show and become a 'Consensus All-American'? Please visit paypal.me/onwardtovictory or patreon.com/onwardtovictorypodcast ! 

On July 21, 2022, the Notre Dame football program lost an all-time great in linebacker Jim Lynch, who served as captain of the 1966 national championship team and enjoyed a long, productive professional career after that.

But Jim was so much more - he was a humble, blue-collared kid from Lima, Ohio, and the model of a Notre Dame man. He was a beacon of servant leadership, and many said a fountain of kindness. 

Jim Lynch is also a member of my family, or, I should say I am lucky enough to be a member of his. Enjoy this tribute to an Irish great.

Want to donate to show? Please visit paypal.me/onwardtovictory or patreon.com/onwardtovictorypodcast !

Let's get after it! After rave reviews on the first one, a second helping of Alex's Irish Anecdotes seemed appropriate. Strap-in as we discuss:

-Inventor/Innovator/Philanthropist John Brisben Walker...an 1860s Notre Dame man (which that took a bit of unraveling), a jack-of-all-trades, including editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine?! Learn more about this fascinating man.

-How about the time that the ever-controversial 'Snake Dance' took over campus, much to chagrin of university administration?

-2022 marks 100 years of Notre Dame football on the radio. Learn more about the humble beginnings the school and the medium.

-An ode to Johnny 'One-Play' O'Brien, an Irish hero of far more consequence than anyone could possibly believe.

Enjoy, Irish fans! Wanna tip the show and become a Consensus All-American? Visit Paypal.me/onwardtovictory or patreon.com/onwardtovictorypodcast to support!

Presenting the first volume of Alex's Irish Anecdotes! Featuring five short stories, you'll want to check out these can't-miss topics, including:

*The (very) early football history on Notre Dame's campus, including the grand prize for the winning team.

*Egregious errors in the media guide as far as head coaching records? Gah!

*Whoah, Notre Dame once missed 20 extra points in a single game? What's the scoop?!

*Who's the best Irish quarterback you (probably) haven't heard of? Check it out!

*The Great Milk Riot of 1952! Epic!

Enjoy, Irish fans!

 

Happy third anniversary to...us? Yes, us! Enjoy a special tale today of the time that Notre Dame, led by their intrepid former president Father Edward Sorin, managed to turn one of the most cataclysmic events in their history into one of the most enduringly positive.

Thanks for the ride. Here's to year four! 

Visit Paypal.Me/OnwardtoVictory for a t-shirt designed and printed by WCScreens.com.

Today, Alex and co-contributor Matt Gehring walk through one of the most spellbinding episodes in program history; the march to 2012 BCS National Championship Game, the larger-than-life Manti Te'o, and his subsequent girlfriend scandal.

Alex and Matt try to give a candid, yet distinctly human look at the legacy of the season and Manti's integral part in it. You don't want to miss this one!

Enjoy, Irish fans!

Happy Mother's Day! Who would've thought that this very special holiday had such a close connection to Notre Dame football? 

Enjoy this episode about Frank E. Hering, who not only brought the football program to prominence, but others at Notre Dame as well. Additionally, he was an early pioneer of Mother's Day. What a show-off! 

Cheers!

Another Rockne themed episode? You bet! Today, in observance of the 91st anniversary of best coach in college football history's sudden and untimely 1931 death, we discuss Notre Dame football's philanthropic exhibition games in the final months of Coach Rockne's life. 

Sound boring? Phooey! You'd be missing out on this critical, not often told chapter of Notre Dame football history. Enjoy!

 

Irish fans, I hope you enjoy this latest installment about one of the most unheralded figures in Notre Dame football history...Chet Grant! 

Chet is...well, hard to explain in just a sentence or two. Between covering the Irish, playing for Coach Rockne, coaching under a Four Horseman, becoming the program's first historian, and writing a compelling history of early  Notre Dame football, Chet takes the cake as the biggest Note Dame fan ever. 

But he was so much more than that. He knew what it meant to be a Notre Dame man. He was a living incarnate of the spirit of Notre Dame. Even standing just 5'6 and tipping the scales at 138 pounds as a player, he was larger than life.

Sadly, Chet has been widely forgotten.  Let's start changing that today.

-Alex

Just in time for President's Day, Onward to Victory discusses the 'State of the Program' as the Fighting Irish heads into the 2022 spring season.

Oh, and a very special day - a new member of the OTV team is making a debut! Folks, you are going to love new contributor Matt Gehring's insight and knowledge into the program. Not only will Matt, who is a veteran at covering the Irish, be joining for select episodes, but he will be helping with the brand new website as well! Psst, head over to OnwardToVictory.blog! 

Alex and Matt will be discussing the new 2022 class, coaching staff, and upcoming schedule, among many other topics of interest!

Our offseason 'march' continues with Alex telling the tale of the Terry Brenna Era, including perhaps the most epic, improbable win in Notre Dame football history. 

Terry Brennan was the youngest man ever to take the reins of the Notre Dame football program - he was 25 when he succeeded the legendary Frank Leahy. Despite his age, and the obvious challenges of the position, he was always cool, calm, and collected. Enjoy, Irish fans!

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In an episode host Alex Painter calls a 'palate cleanser' after a disappointing Fiesta Bowl, pull up a locker room stool and learn about Cartier Field - which served as the home field of the Irish from 1899-1928. 

The origins of the facility are fascinating - and tell the story of the state of Irish athletics at the time. Discover how the field has ties back to the very first Notre Dame football team, and how the Irish were nearly unbeatable at home. 

Enjoy!

 

Is it possible? Of course, Irish fans! Join Alex as he attempts to shed, despite the former coach's dastardly exit, a bit of insight and perspective on the Kelly Era's true place in Notre Dame history...even with minimal swear words.

Enjoy, Irish fans. 

Despite all the excitement surrounding the program this week (which is lightly discussed), we have some serious work to do! Today, Alex recalls and discusses the legacy of the first Black quarterback to start a game for Notre Dame...Cliff Brown.

What challenges did he (and other Black quarterbacks) face at this time? Historically, and particularly in the early 1970s, this was not an easy proposition across college football. 

Together, we can restore Cliff's legacy as one of the most culturally significant players in Irish football history. Enjoy!

EDIT: at the approximate 15:30 mark, I mistakenly say that Brown is 'six-foot, 100-pounds'. Since Brown was not actually a twig, he was in reality 'six-foot, 190-pounds'. 

 

Today, Alex unpacks what life was like for a Notre Dame student...in 1871!

Sharpen up those pencils and polish those apples - we are heading to college! You don't want to miss this immersive experience as we hurtle through time to see what being a 'Golden Domer' meant in 150 years ago. 

Enjoy, Irish fans!

Well, I suppose this will blow the lid off who the host's favorite current player is!

No matter - join Alex as he breaks down the awe-inspiring career of the program-first, unflappable Avery Davis. Who, despite being one of the very best at his position in the country, has played multiple spots for the Irish, wherever he's been asked and whatever it took, all for your Irish.

Enjoy this one about a modern pillar of the program!

Today on Onward to Victory, host Alex Painter does a dive on the most prominent Fighting Irish football family...the Millers of Defiance, Ohio. No one can hold a candle to these lads!

Five brothers (plus two nephews) worth of Notre Dame lore - phew! Some are famous, others are less so but nonetheless incredibly noteworthy. Buckle in and enjoy Irish fans!

Episode #50! It's pretty surreal - but man, thank you for being along for the ride. Make no mistake...what a ride it's been! 

Today, appropriately since it's episode fifty, we turn the clocks back fifty years. Even more appropriately (since it's our opponent this week during the 2021 season) we will revisit the long, storied Purdue/ND rivalry, and the 1971 game, featuring the infamous 'Genuflect Play'. What, you're kinda unfamiliar with it?! Did you know the 1971 Purdue/Irish game was decided by a bold coaching move compounded by a cunning play call? 

Oh, you better peep episode #50 then. Buckle up those chinstraps, Irish fans!

The day has arrived, Irish fans! The 2021 season is bearing down on us like linebacker Drew White on a ball carrier, and with that, the third annual Onward to Victory Season Preview episode!

Join Alex as he breaks down every position group, each game of the schedule, as well as the famous Onward to Victory 'All-Sleeper Team'! He may even make a prediction or two! Enjoy!

Folks...you simply can't miss this one. Hear George Gipp discussed in a manner seldom heard when Alex is joined by author/Notre Dame alumnus Bill Fuller!

Bill wrote 'The Forever Year', a historical fiction/romance novel about the Gipper and the mysterious relationship he had with Iris Trippeer over the last year of his life. As a pleasant bonus, hear Alex eat a bit of crow and explain why you should never judge a book by its cover as he gives his personal review.

Given their respective knowledge on the Gipper, Alex and Bill are able to hold a conversation about who may be one of the most misunderstood sportsmen in American history with a vigor and eloquence rarely heard.

Enjoy this one, Irish fans!

Today, Alex investigates the question perhaps you have asked yourself...when was the first documented time Notre Dame football team was called the 'Fighting Irish'?

To his surprise, the answer took him to shortly after one of the biggest moments in Notre Dame football history at the time! You won't want to miss this epic inquiry!

In 1985... a headline splashed across the front page of the Indianapolis Star:

'Boilermakers Crush Notre Dumb'

Gasp! Though the Irish faithful were up in arms with the not-so-subtle jab, the fall from grace experienced by the Notre Dame football program in the early 1980s was unmistakable. Curiously, though the team slogged through five mediocre seasons with head coach Gerry Faust, many found it literally impossible to dislike him. What's the story? Join Alex on a journey to a great decade with your favorite lads of the gridiron.

Buckle up those chinstraps, Irish fans! Today, Alex celebrates the two-year mark of the show by taking the class on a field trip down to tiny Rockne, Texas.

What's the story here? How did the unincorporated community get such a name? The town's methodology may surprise you. Pull up a locker room and stay for a while! 

Thank you all for two great years!

Today, Alex examines Memorial Day, the holiday's presence on Notre Dame's campus, as well as some of the former Notre Dame football players who gave the last full measure. 

Enjoy, Irish fans.

Continuing to celebrate those trailblazers of the Irish gridiron, Alex zeroes in on center Tommy Yarr, who played for the Irish from 1927-1931. Yarr, a Rockne recruit, team captain, and Consensus All-American, was the first self-identified Native American in program history. And he was exceptional.

Join host Alex Painter for another deep, rewarding dive into the lore of the Fighting Irish - with yet another captivating subject. You don't want to miss this one!

Signs of spring...flowers, rain showers, Blue and Gold Game!

 

Join Alex for a position-by-position breakdown of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as they head into the annual Blue and Gold Game on May 1. Who is back? Who is new and exciting? Enjoy the blow-for-blow coverage!

Welcome to yet another show first...a St. Paddy's Day special! Grab that green beverage and huddle around your favorite podcast provider - Alex is going to tell you an abbreviated history of St. Patrick himself, as well as the early history of St. Patrick's Day on Notre Dame's campus. 

...Would you have guessed St. Paddy's Day was outlawed on Notre Dame's campus for a time!? Me neither! Listen to find out more. Enjoy!

In today's episode, Alex tries to answer an age-old (okay, maybe not that old) question as comprehensively and exhaustively as he can...do the academic standards of Notre Dame help or hinder their recruitment efforts? 

 

Regardless of anything, this is not a simple answer. Alex pieces it together using a myriad of criteria to allow folks to muster a very educated guess. You won't want to miss this one - don't forget your sharpened pencil and paper!

To celebrate Black History Month, Alex goes back to one of his favorite decades...the 1950s! Wayne Edmonds was the first Black football player in Notre Dame history to earn a Monogram award - get the scoop on his story - it's a dandy! This will be the first installment in a semi-ongoing 'Gridiron Groundbreakers' series. 

Enjoy!

A real treat today! Alex expands on the show's 2020 three-part 'Notre Dame & the Civil War' miniseries with a new installment. 

Simply, who knew that the most famous private eye in American history had such strong Notre Dame ties? Enter Allan Pinkerton, who rose to national prominence during the Civil War. 

Click that 'play' button and listen in as fast as you can say 'teenage spies' to find out more!

It sure has been a long three week layoff from the show! I hope everyone had a restful holiday break!

Today, Alex breaks down the athletic career and life of former Irish center, and teammate of Knute Rockne, a certain Al Feeney. This episode came about uniquely, even for this show, but believe me, you don't want to miss this one. Feeney was a phenomenal athlete at Notre Dame during some watershed years for the football program, but went on to lead a life full of athletics and public service. The episode ends in a place I never even imagined!

And to think...this guy doesn't even have a Wikipedia page! Sheesh! 

Enjoy, Irish fans!

On today's episode, Alex investigates and celebrates the player, person, and legend of George Gipp, 100 years after his passing. 

'Tis true, many folks don't know what 'to do' with Gipp in properly contextualizing his place in college football and Notre Dame history - but Alex will lay it all out for you to decide in this centennial celebration of the most captivating player in Notre Dame history. 

Enjoy!

On today's episode, Alex pays homage to a recently-passed Irish great, the 'Golden Boy' Paul Hornung. Hornung was a Heisman Trophy winner for Notre Dame, but perhaps saved his most brilliant gridiron action for the professional ranks. Alex breaks down some of his most exciting seasons, while sharing a serendipitous personal story regarding Hornung.

Enjoy! 

Pack your bags, Irish fans, we are going on a trip! Let's journey back to the Indiana wilderness back in the mid-1800s and follow a young priest named Father Edward Sorin - who traveled thousands of miles, all to eventually found the University of Notre Dame.

Braving the elements by way of the harshest winter on record, Sorin (a Frenchman whose school would inextricably be connected with the Irish!) courageously defied the odds to stablish a humble school in South Bend, Indiana - starting with a lone log chapel. Discover, blow-for-blow Sorin's journey and Notre Dame's origins in this episode! 

Irish fans, you won't want to miss this one!

With Halloween quickly approaching, let's embrace some holiday spirit! Join host Alex Painter on an in-depth look at some of the spellbinding, paranormal, and sometimes downright spooky side of Notre Dame's campus! 

The Ghost of Washington Hall? How about unexplained noises, voices, and ghostly presence in the middle of the night? Could it be the Ghost of George Gipp? Prepare yourselves for a different kind of Notre Dame history, Irish fans...you just might need to flip on your night light when it gets dark! 

Enjoy, and happy Halloween!

Ten years before Rockne, and seventeen years before the sensational 1920 season of a certain George Gipp, Louis 'Red' Salmon was the first Notre Dame football hero. The star was as quiet and reserved as we was breathtakingly good on the gridiron between 1900-1903. He literally (literally) did it all. His legend is obscured today, even among diehard Irish fans. Let's change that today! 

Please enjoy this enthralling story of an early Notre Dame legend - you surely don't want to miss this one!

 

Ever wonder what the origins of the most famous fight song in America are? Notre Dame's 'Victory March' is recognized by people all across the country, world, and the span of history. You wouldn't believe the humble backstory! 

Follow Alex where he loves going...back in time, to discover the series of events that sprang 'Victory March' into motion, and even catapulted it to fame!

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and head over the Facebook page for a new contest with some cool prizes!

It's finally here! The 2020 season is imminent! Alas, welcome to the official season preview episode!

Get all the Irish intel you need (and more) as Alex breaks down the schedule, offense, defense, and special teams, complete with position group grades!

Everyone draw a deep, sad sigh. Barring a miracle, Notre Dame and Navy, for the first time in nearly a century, will not meet on the gridiron this year, the historic match-up among the pandemic football casualties. 

So, what's the big idea? Who even cares? Well, Alex does! Join him for a rundown of the significance of this historic relationship and rivalry between the two schools, who have played annually without fail since 1927. 

Don't miss it!

Man, does five years count as nostalgia? Do you remember the 2015 game against Virginia when Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer was pressed into action...and heroically led the Irish in one of their most spellbinding games of the millennia? You do, huh? Well, do you remember just how exciting that affair was?! Alex waxes poetic about one of his personal favorite quarterbacks in recent Irish memory, using the backdrop of an unforgettable game. Buckle in, Fighting Irish fans, this is a good one!

Today, Alex attempts to breakdown a question that has been asked a number of times over the years...is 'Fighting Irish' an offensive team name? Though it seems rather cut-and-dry, Alex attempts to contextualize the issue in both the past and present day to have an honest discussion on the wider topic. 

 

Oh, and an obligatory Covid-19 update as well! This is a situation everyone, including Onward to Victory, will continue to report on.

 

Enjoy!

Remember hearing about how Notre Dame students took on the Ku Klux Klan in the streets of South Bend in 1924? You don't? Well, buckle up and prepare for an incredibly interesting and compelling episode of Onward to Victory! 

By the 1920's the Klan's corrosive, bigoted influence had infiltrated nearly every corner of Indiana. Statewide Klan leaders set South Bend in the cross-hairs, home of one of the most reputable Catholic universities in the country. A perfect target for the Klan and their anti-Catholic stance (one of many groups targeted at this time). 

Would the students just roll over, or would there be some resistance? Listen to find out!

Pretty hard to believe, but the show is one year old! Thank you to every one of the loyal listeners, who make it all possible. It's a cavalcade of fun with episode twenty-five, including:

-A review of Jeff Harrell's new Knute Rockne biography titled "Rockne of Ages".

-With the help of One Foot Down of SB Nation, power ranking the top five ND players heading into the 2020 season.

-Ever wonder what goes into creating and crafting episode? Alex gives you a look behind Onward to Victory's humble curtain!

Thanks all! Here's to another great year!

Buckle in, and prepare for a 'profile in courage' as we look at the University of Notre Dame and John F. Kennedy's inexorable connection!

In addition, Alex goes over the latest in Notre Dame scheduling news for the fall. 

Stay well, all!

A show 'first' is always exciting, and episode twenty-three is the first Onward to Victory 'community collaborative project', where we tackle what the 'spirit of Notre Dame' means to us. Why is it so special? What are the hallmarks of the spirit? How is it that it binds us together so tightly?

Alex brings in a number of famous, historical Notre Dame figures to 'speak' on the topic, gives his two cents, and, best of all, shares what a number of very special listeners wrote in on the topic on why the spirit of Notre is special to them. It was truly a collaborative project...and, frankly, I think it's pretty damn cool. Enjoy!

The 85th annual NFL Draft is complete! Who of the Irish were selected? Where did they go? How will they fit? And, perhaps most importantly, who is going to replace them in the blue and gold? Get all your answers in episode twenty-two! 

In addition, what does the 'Spirit of Notre Dame' mean to you? Let the show know...you just may win something!

If you have been alive any time between 1993 and now, there is approximately a 92.5% chance you have watched the movie Rudy. Okay, so I have no clue if that statistic is correct, but the tale of the undersized walk-on who was able to break in with the Notre Dame football team is truly timeless. As is the movie. But, have you ever heard the story of how Rudy actually became a movie? At times, the movie actually being made felt like a longer shot than Rudy himself seeing the game that Saturday against Georgia Tech! Tune in and learn about the arduous, winding path Rudy took to get to the big screen!

Grab a seat! Today, Alex raps about a true classic in the annals of Irish history - Joe Montana and the 1979 Cotton Bowl! Needless to say, never has a bowl of chicken soup played such a pivotal role in the outcome of a football game, season, and a star player's legacy! This is a heck of a story - I hope you enjoy it.

 Don't hesitate to reach out to the show any way you'd like. I hope everyone is staying healthy and as well as can be expected during this trying time. Stay up, Irish fans! Brighter days are coming.

The third episode of the month?! Phew! 

Irish coach Knute Rockne and baseball slugger Babe Ruth's ascent to fame almost perfectly coincided with each other's, and were even the subject of a couple famous photographs. So what's the story here? Ever wonder where and when cross-promoting between sports became much more prevalent? I give you Exhibit A and B...Knute Rockne and Babe Ruth! Today, Alex sets the two legends on a collision course, where they were only destined to meet. 

I hope everyone is staying well. I know there are many baseball fans in the audience who are now coping with the postponement of Opening Day. Given that, I hope this episode can scratch the baseball as well as the Irish itch!

Enjoy!