LET’S SET THE STAGE…
The 1976 campaign finished on a very positive note as ND defeated Penn State 20-9 in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville (the current home of several distinguished ND graduates and classmates). Just as for many of the players, this “minor” bowl was a good first experience for many of us (non-players) in attendance… but we still aspired to a National Championship during our stay at ND.
The Gator Bowl victory was uplifting. And with a 9-3 record, we had beaten some good teams that year… but we had still lost to our biggest rival USC 17-13 at the Coliseum over Thanksgiving.
Everyone was already focused upon the 1977 season. We had a captivating line-up on both sides of the ball with a parade of All-Americans like Ross Browner, Luther Bradley, Willie Fry, Bob Golic, Ken McAfee, Dave Huffman, Ernie Hughes and Ted Burgmeier. And there were plenty of other great players who remarkably never earned All-American status, yet are unforgettable. (Did you realize that Joe Montana is not eligible as a player for the College Hall of Fame because he was not an All-American?)
Dan Devine held Media Day and the 1977 edition of the Fighting Irish stormed out of the tunnel for pictures.
Note most visible here: Ross Browner, Terry Eurick, Willie Fry, Luther Bradley, Randy Harrison, Teddy Horansky, Kevin Hart, Bob Golic and Ernie Hughes.
The #3 Irish opened with a win at #7 Pitt as RB (and Black Belt Karate) Jimmy Browner ran all over the Panthers. There was euphoria for the next week on campus in anticipation of our Championship season.
ND was on the road again heading south to Mississippi the next Saturday to play the unranked Rebels. Honestly, everyone seemed to take the game lightly looking ahead to other games on the schedule. But disaster struck and the Irish were upended 20-13. This seemed pre-mature and tragic. Was our dream over?
(“Was it over when the Germans Bombed Harbor?”)
ND was no longer ranked in the Top 10, but our climb back toward the national spotlight began. We won our next games against Pee-U, Sparty and Army. Everyone (even Idi Amin) had October 22 circled on their calendars when the USC Trojans would invade South Bend. We knew the Trojans were strong and durable, but we would rise to the occasion. That game would be the season.
WE NEEDED SOME MAGIC….
As the legendary story has been re-told many times, including by his brother Jerry Devine and then former player (and great dentist today) Joe Restic just two weeks ago at the unveiling of the Dan Devine statute at Gate A of the Stadium, Coach Devine received a prescient message in a letter he received waiting for him on his desk his first day at Notre Dame.
A former student manager under Frank Leahy wrote Devine to suggest that the Irish wear green again. The new coach was apparently intrigued by the notion and filed it somewhere in his brain.
The Trojans were rolling that season to be ranked #5 and Devine knew he needed an “edge” for his underdog Irish. Playing at home in front of 59,075 friendlies had to have its advantages. Maybe that letter from two years ago was the answer…
As the story goes, Devine had called Irish Tri-Captain Willie Fry into his office several weeks earlier and asked how he would feel about changing to green jerseys. Fry has recounted, “I thought the man had gone over the edge. I tried, but I just couldn’t picture us in green.” But Devine had apparently already put the wheels in motion.
On the Wednesday before USC, Devine invited Fry, Steve Orsini and Terry Eurick – the other two captains – in total secrecy to the football auditorium. When the trio arrived, Ross Browner was on stage. He was sporting a bright green jersey with prominent gold numerals. The pants were yellow-gold with the traditional Golden Dome gold helmet. A previously skeptical Willie Fry relates, “I said, ‘Bring on USC!’ I wanted to play them right there!”
The plan was on and Coach Devine unfolded the rest of the scheme to his trusted players.
After Friday’s practice, Irish Tennis Coach Tom Fallon serenaded the team in its dressing room with a number of Irish ballads, among them “The Wearin’ of the Green”. Then Devine spoke to the players of the torments suffered in years past by the Irish people. He spoke of their fierce pride. He told them what it meant to wear green during the “Black and Tan” oppression. And he reminded them of their own proud ethnic backgrounds, that their ancestors, like the Irish, had to fight for their beliefs. It was a speech that would gain significance the next day.
Many of us will recall the Pep Rally that Friday night when Willie Fry urged all the fans to wear green to the game. We thought it was a reasonable request, but not totally convincing. But then, hoops coach Digger Phelps did the same as he exhorted the crowd. Now they had our attention! It was Digger who whipped-up the crowd into a chant of “Green Machine! Green Machine!” (whatever that meant…)
And to this day, Digger is partial to green. He is also happy to re-tell his inspirational and monumental role in the “Green Jerseys” lore (as he has passionately replayed for audiences at Armando’s, Parisi’s, and other ND haunts.)
GAME DAY
Saturday October 22, 1977 was a glorious Fall day inSouth Bend. You may recall from days gone by that the stadium had not been expanded and was still just 59,075 at capacity. There were no lights and games began at 1:30pm. There was no NBC-TV contract with excessively long, momentum-killing TV time-outs and commercials. Games were crisp and fast. They ended during daylight and we had time afterwards to revel in the parking lots with post-game tailgating and camaraderie. And by the way, GA tickets that day were just $10 bucks.
USC brought its fans, its obnoxious band (which only knows one song: “Da…da…da…da..da-da..) and both its Cheerleaders and Song Girls.
As ND loyalists, we defended our own Cheerleaders and Pom Squad (led by the ever vivacious Val Stefani). Those Trojan-loving, long-legged, athletic, spirited, flirtatious and effervescent blonde “L.A.chicks” were just second-tier in our Midwest town!
Following the warm-ups, the players returned to the locker room for final instructions. As recounted at one of his famous “Swinegater” tailgaters, ND Head Student Manager and classmate Jim (Swiney) Swinehart recalls that the players broke into their own frenzy to see their new jerseys neatly hanging in their locker stalls. Spontaneously, the players themselves broke into their own chant of “Green Machine…Green Machine!” (Thanks again, Digger).
The image is vivid…seared into the minds of everyone who was there. As fans in the stands, we were all incredulous. “We’re wearin’ GREEN!” was the reaction reverberating throughout the stands. It was the most amazing propaganda, momentum-making, delirious sports moment that most of us had been associated with (bad to end a sentence with a preposition?).
Of all the images of the “Green Jersey” game, there is a solitary shot of All-American center #56 Dave Huffman and ND QB #3 Joe Montana. It tells a big story.
First, we see the most exciting uniform combination in our young lifetimes. Second, note the “signature” red elbow pads worn by our pal Dave. When asked, he often told reporters, “I need to wear the red elbow pads because that’s the only way Momma back home will be able to spot me on the bottom of the pile.” Third, Joe was a very good QB heading into this game…and he left the field GREAT and immortal in Irish QB history as he asserted himself that day, and for the rest of the season, as an Irish legend.
Now it was game time…
BUST THOSE TROJANS!
“I saw them come out screaming in those jerseys,” said USC linebacker Clay Matthews, “and I knew we were in trouble.”
Indeed.
Montana led the powerful offense and our big play defensive guys were everywhere. Classmate Bob Golic was a maniac in the middle. And DB Ted Burgmeier made himself an All-American that afternoon. Do you recall his exploits?
At just 5’ 10” and maybe 170 pounds in the rain, Burgmeier was everywhere. He returned an interception 38- yards with an incredible highlight reel broken-field run; ran a faked field goal attempt for a key 1st down; and then, from his position as the holder— Bergey turned a muffed snap from center into a two-point conversion when he sprinted sprinting wide and dinked a short pass to Tom Domin. And by the way, he was also pumped to make eight tackles that day. (If he didn’t have a steady girlfriend before that game, the next week would be very promising.)
Speaking of great Irish linebacker #55 Bob Golic, who is now a very popular sports radio analyst and host and is also the owner of one of the hottest sports bars in Cleveland… bet you forgot that he played for Al Davis (R.I.P.) and the Oakland Raiders in his NFL career (before TV sitcom stardom).
“Just win, Baby. Win!”
As anyone of our era can cite, the Irish really got into the rythym and emotion of the event. We steamrolled the slick Trojans by a final score 49 to 19. This was payback from the loss the season before in L.A., redemption for the early season loss to Ole Miss, and it was the momentum we needed to run the table all the way through the pasting of Texas in the Cotton Bowl for the 1977 National Championship.
Without the drama and notoriety of the “Green Jersey” game…. the 1977 season could have been much different. Lives were forever that day. It was the “Wearin’ of the Green!”
Just my memories as a junior at ND in the Fall of 1977…
GO IRISH!
Abe