Former Notre Dame All-American dies at 69

Former Notre Dame defensive lineman standout and 1973 national champion Mike Fanning died this weekend at 69 years of age.  Fanning starred at Notre Dame before spending a decade helping terrorize NFL offenses.  He played a key role on Notre Dame’s 11-0 squad in ’73 before earning first-team All-American status for his efforts a year later as the Irish finished the year ranked sixth nationally.

After Notre Dame, it was the Los Angeles Rams who selected Fanning ninth overall in 1975.  He made an instant impact as he earned NFL All-Rookie team honors and helped the Rams to an NFC championship game appearance.

Fanning starred on the Rams defensive front that also featured standouts Jack Youngblood, Fred Dryer, Larry Brooks, and others. They would appear in the playoffs six times during Fanning’s eight years with the team, including in 1979 when they won the NFC for the first time in franchise history before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV.

After eight years with the Rams, Fanning was traded to the Detroit Lions where he played one season.  He then spent his final year in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks in 1984.

Fanning had been working in the athletic department at the University of Tulsa since 2009.  He is survived by a son and two daughters.

See how Mike Fanning was remembered by some friends and fans on social media below.

Joe Montana

Jack Youngblood

Tulsa Hurricane Athletic Department

Old Time Football

The Observer (Notre Dame Student Newspaper)

Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire