Ranking the 14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Notre Dame can claim 14 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. How worthy are they and how good were their pro careers?

Aug 6, 2022; Canton, OH, USA; Bryant Young speaks during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

How strong are the 14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

The school remains tied with USC for being able to claim the most members in the Hall, and just how worthy are the 14?

It's so, SO hard to get your bust in the building, and considering Notre Dame has sent the most all-time players to the NFL, it makes sense that it would have plenty of superstars.

All 14 members on this list were worthy. Here's our very, very subjective list of just how good their respective resumés are.

What's the criteria? Greatness - if you have to ask how that's defined, you probably don't have it - big moments, and when it comes to players, All-Pro recognition. That last part is a tad dependent upon position, but it helps to have a slew of the honors.

One part of this - the players get more respect than the coach and the front office guy, so ...

Notre Dame 14 Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

The subject of this week's #GoldJacketSpotlight is Jerome Bettis!

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14. Edward DeBartolo, Jr.

He was an owner. Fine. He did set the tone for the front office and how a team should be run, taking an okay San Francisco franchise and making it a superpower.

13. Earl Lambeau

Curly Lambeau created the Green Bay Packers. If you want to make a case for him to be No. 1 on this list, no beef whatsoever, But it’s about the players here so …

12. John McNally, END

He’s this low because he did play for Notre Dame, but “Johnny Blood” was a star at St. John’s in Minnesota for most of his college career. He was a true all-around player in the NFL for five different teams.

11. George Trafton, C/DL

A strong two-way player known for never leaving the field and always being a tone-setter with his toughness.


10. Wayne Millner, END

A solid pass catcher back in the 1930s who could also play a little defense, too. His stats and status would’ve been far stronger - at least when it comes to the NFL - but he went off to fight in World War II and missed four seasons.


9. Bryant Young, DT

A rock for 14 seasons for the 49ers, he was the tackle everyone is looking for. He was a brilliant interior pass rusher along with his work as an anchor.


8. Dave Casper, TE

One of the elite tight ends of the 1970s as a key piece in the Oakland Raider puzzle, the four-time All-Pro put together seven straight Pro Bowl seasons.

7. Tim Brown, WR

The Heisman winner is currently seventh all-time in NFL receiving yards, and he might be there for a little while. He’s only this low because of his All-Pro seasons - there weren’t any.


6. Paul Hornung, HB

Forgetting the stats - fine for the day, but no big deal by modern standards - he was the all-around star as a rusher, receiver, and a kicker of the great Green Bay teams of the late 1950s and early 1960s.


5. Jerome Bettis, RB

It’s sort of hard to argue against the guy with the eighth-most rushing yards in NFL history, but he’s mostly about longevity, leadership, and powerful style. The two-time All-Pro, shockingly, only ran for double-digit touchdowns twice in his 13 seasons.

4. George Connor, OT/LB

Legendary at Notre Dame and even stronger in his eight seasons in the NFL, he was great on the offensive line and dominant as one of the original monster linebackers for the Chicago Bears. He was an all-star on both sides of the ball.


3. Nick Buoniconti, LB

The five-time All-Pro and leader of Miami’s famed “No Name Defense” wasn’t big, but he hit everything while also turning into an interception machine for the position.



2. Alan Page, DT

One of the greatest defense tackles of all-time, he wasn’t big or bulky, but the five-time First Team All-Pro was too quick, too dominant, and too consistent. There were few better interior pass rushers in the history of the game.


1. Joe Montana, QB

The new world of the NFL with so many huge passing stats, so many good quarterbacks, and so many Super Bowls for Tom Brady took away some of the luster of the greatness of Montana to a new generation. 

The four-time Super Bowl champ was a two-time MVP, three-time All-Pro, and with legacy and resumé that would’ve put him right there for the greatest quarterback of all-time if it wasn’t for that TB12 guy.

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