Johnny Lujack was a quarterback who was honored with the Heisman Trophy while playing for Notre Dame in 1947 and went on to play for the Chicago Bears.
- Died: July 25, 2023 (Who else died on July 25?)
- Details of death: Died in Florida after a brief illness at the age of 98.
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Johnny Lujack’s legacy
Lujack started at Notre Dame in 1943, helping lead the team to the national championship in 1943. But before he could achieve his greatest college football fame, he paused his university career to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He returned to Notre Dame in 1946 and took the team to two more consecutive national championships. In his junior and senior years, Lujack was a two-time unanimous All-American. He lettered in four sports: football, baseball, basketball, and track. And in 1947, he received the highest honor of college football, the Heisman Trophy.
After graduation, Lujack signed with the Chicago Bears, where he would play for four seasons. He was a two-time Pro Bowl pick and was named to the 1950 All-Pro first team. He led the NFL in passing touchdowns and passing yards in 1949, and in rushing touchdowns in 1950. Lujack retired in 1951, returning to Notre Dame as a coach. After working in insurance during the off season, he moved to Davenport, Iowa, where he founded an auto dealership with his father-in-law. He also worked as a color commentator for several years.
Lujack was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960. He was named one of the 100 greatest Bears of all time. After the death of Felix “Doc” Blanchard (1924–2009), Lujack became the oldest living Heisman Trophy winner.
Notable quote
“As a sophomore in the spring of 1943, I was in the Navy. There was no spring football, so I played baseball. I had started on the basketball team earlier. In the first baseball game, I had two singles and a triple. Between innings I went over to the track meet and won the high jump and javelin and got letters in four sports that year, the last one to do so at Notre Dame.” —from a 2014 interview for Sports Collectors Digest
Tributes to Johnny Lujack
Full obituary: Chicago Sun-Times
