1990 – Knute Rockne

Born in Voss, Norway, on March 4, 1888, legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne was a category II inductee into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 1990. Category II inductees are individuals, teams, moments, or events in sports especially noteworthy for some inspirational quality. “The mark that Rockne left on the game of football is immeasurable.” During his tenure as Notre Dame’s football coach, from 1918-1930, his teams had a record of 105 wins, 12 losses, 5 ties, and 6 National Championships. His incredible winning percentage of 0.881 still stands as the best of all time. Rockne also aided in the development of the forward pass to increase football’s appeal, and designed equipment that was lighter and less bulky, while still as safe, to increase players speed. Rockne died in a plane crash in 1930, he was 43.