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Johnny Lujack
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Johnny Lujack
John Christopher Lujack Jr. (/ˈluːdʒæk/; January 4, 1925 – July 25, 2023) was an American football player who was a quarterback and safety. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1947. He was also a unanimous All-American in both 1946 and 1947, leading the team to national championships both years. He later played professionally for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1948 to 1951, receiving first-team All-Pro honors in 1950.
Lujack was born to Alice and John Luczak, in 1925 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, the youngest of four sons and fifth child in a family of six children. The family is of Polish descent and included older siblings Valentine ("Val"), Stanislaus ("Stan"), Victoria, Aloysius ("Allie", who went on to play professional basketball), and younger sister Dolores. His father worked for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad for thirty years as a boilermaker.
Lujack attended Connellsville High School and played for the school's football team from 1939 to 1941. He was also the senior class president and valedictorian. In high school, he lettered in four sports; baseball, football, basketball, and track.
Lujack's 1941 high school team, named the Cokers for workers in the coal milling industry who feed the ovens, went 8–0–1, but did not get to play for the WPIAL league championship because their last game, with Brownsville, ended in a 13–13 tie.
People in Connellsville had wanted Lujack to go to the United States Military Academy (Army) at West Point, going so far as to ask their local congressman for an appointment, but Lujack, a fan of Notre Dame football from listening to their radio broadcasts, had his heart set on playing in South Bend. He was the first Connellsville High School student to receive an appointment to Army.
Lujack attended the University of Notre Dame, where he was given a scholarship by Frank Leahy, from 1942 to 1943 and then 1946 to 1947. His career was interrupted for two years by World War II after his sophomore season, during which he served as an officer in the United States Navy. His time in the Navy was spent hunting German submarines in the English Channel as an ensign. In 1945, Johnny Lujack quarterbacked the Fort Pierce Amphibs, a military service football team based in Fort Pierce, Florida.
When Lujack returned from the Atlantic (ETO) duty, he appeared on the cover of the September 29, 1947, issue of LIFE. He led the 1947 Fighting Irish to a 9–0 record for his senior year, during which he completed 61 passes on 109 attempts for 777 yards and rushed for 139 yards on 12 carries, and won the Heisman Trophy. As he had in high school, Lujack once again received varsity letters (called "monograms") in four sports (again baseball, football, basketball, and track) while at Notre Dame, becoming the third person to do so. As a track and field athlete, he competed in the high jump and javelin throw, at times dashing over to the track to compete between innings of baseball games that he was playing in. He was a two-time unanimous All-American (1946 and 1947) and led Notre Dame to three national championships (1943, 1946, and 1947). In addition to winning the Heisman, Lujack was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. Category: American football players from Fort Pierce, Florida.
Lujack was paid $17,000 for his 1948 rookie season with the Bears and $20,000 for his fourth and final season. In his rookie season he played defensive back and kicker, during which he had eight interceptions for 131 yards and kicked 44 out of 46 extra points.
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Johnny Lujack
John Christopher Lujack Jr. (/ˈluːdʒæk/; January 4, 1925 – July 25, 2023) was an American football player who was a quarterback and safety. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1947. He was also a unanimous All-American in both 1946 and 1947, leading the team to national championships both years. He later played professionally for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1948 to 1951, receiving first-team All-Pro honors in 1950.
Lujack was born to Alice and John Luczak, in 1925 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, the youngest of four sons and fifth child in a family of six children. The family is of Polish descent and included older siblings Valentine ("Val"), Stanislaus ("Stan"), Victoria, Aloysius ("Allie", who went on to play professional basketball), and younger sister Dolores. His father worked for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad for thirty years as a boilermaker.
Lujack attended Connellsville High School and played for the school's football team from 1939 to 1941. He was also the senior class president and valedictorian. In high school, he lettered in four sports; baseball, football, basketball, and track.
Lujack's 1941 high school team, named the Cokers for workers in the coal milling industry who feed the ovens, went 8–0–1, but did not get to play for the WPIAL league championship because their last game, with Brownsville, ended in a 13–13 tie.
People in Connellsville had wanted Lujack to go to the United States Military Academy (Army) at West Point, going so far as to ask their local congressman for an appointment, but Lujack, a fan of Notre Dame football from listening to their radio broadcasts, had his heart set on playing in South Bend. He was the first Connellsville High School student to receive an appointment to Army.
Lujack attended the University of Notre Dame, where he was given a scholarship by Frank Leahy, from 1942 to 1943 and then 1946 to 1947. His career was interrupted for two years by World War II after his sophomore season, during which he served as an officer in the United States Navy. His time in the Navy was spent hunting German submarines in the English Channel as an ensign. In 1945, Johnny Lujack quarterbacked the Fort Pierce Amphibs, a military service football team based in Fort Pierce, Florida.
When Lujack returned from the Atlantic (ETO) duty, he appeared on the cover of the September 29, 1947, issue of LIFE. He led the 1947 Fighting Irish to a 9–0 record for his senior year, during which he completed 61 passes on 109 attempts for 777 yards and rushed for 139 yards on 12 carries, and won the Heisman Trophy. As he had in high school, Lujack once again received varsity letters (called "monograms") in four sports (again baseball, football, basketball, and track) while at Notre Dame, becoming the third person to do so. As a track and field athlete, he competed in the high jump and javelin throw, at times dashing over to the track to compete between innings of baseball games that he was playing in. He was a two-time unanimous All-American (1946 and 1947) and led Notre Dame to three national championships (1943, 1946, and 1947). In addition to winning the Heisman, Lujack was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. Category: American football players from Fort Pierce, Florida.
Lujack was paid $17,000 for his 1948 rookie season with the Bears and $20,000 for his fourth and final season. In his rookie season he played defensive back and kicker, during which he had eight interceptions for 131 yards and kicked 44 out of 46 extra points.
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