In 1930 Knute Rockne was just hitting his stride as America’s greatest football coach. His 1930 team would go undefeated and win their second consecutive national title, and when the season ended Rockne was to fly to Hollywood to oversee the making of the movie “The Spirit of Notre Dame.” However, tragedy struck on March 31, 1931 when the plane carrying Knute to California crashed in a Kansas wheat field. Published just prior to Knute’s tragic passing, this Notre Dame “Official Football Review” celebrates the team’s wildly successful 1930 season, the final crowning achievement for America’s greatest football coach. This incredible volume has been signed by over twenty of Rockne’s players and coaches. Penned in blue or black fountain pen, many of the signatures are personalized to “Pat” or “Mr. O’Reilly.”
The list of players who have signed this book reads like a who’s who of Fighting Irish football history: Hunk Anderson, All-Western right-end and team captain Tom Conley, All-Western Marty Brill, All-American’s Frank Carideo and Marchmont Schwartz plus Tommy Yarr, Larry Mullins, Al Culver, Joe Kurth, Johnny O’Brien, George Vlk, Chuck Jaskwhich, Bernie Leahy, Bill Jones, Bill Halpin and Joe McKeon. The book displays some wear from age including toning and yellowing of the edges as well as some apparent water damage along the bottom corner of many pages. The embossed cover retains most of the gold ink, but the red has faded with age. The binding edge of the cover has come loose and has torn and the top right corner of the cover is missing. A visually attractive piece from The Rock’s last team signed by most of his boys.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA.