Notre Dame’s Seven Heisman Trophy Winners

The Heisman Trophy has been handed out annually since Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago was awarded the first back in 1935.

Since then no school has had a player win the Heisman Trophy more than Notre Dame, who has seven all-time winners, although both Oklahoma and Ohio State have now caught the Irish total while USC would have had Reggie Bush’s Heisman not been taken away from 2005.

So who are the Fighting Irish legends that have won the award?

Here is a glimpse at the seasons all seven put up while wearing the blue and gold and striking the pose.

1943 - Angelo Bartelli

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Angelo Bartelli played in just games in 1943 before the Marine Corps called him to service in World War II, but Bartelli made those games count as he threw 10 touchdown passes out of the T-formation and helped Notre Dame average 43.5 points per game while he became the first Fighting Irish football player to win the award.

1947 - Johnny Lujack

Johnny Lujack, left, field general of the 1947 Notre Dame football team, receives the Heisman Memorial Trophy at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City on Dec. 10, 1947. Presenting the award is Wilbur Jurden, president of the Downtown A.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Harris)

Johnny Lujack may have had the greatest career of any player in Notre Dame history when you consider: While playing for the Irish in 1943, 1946, and 1947, the team went a combined 26-1-1 while Lujack finished third in Heisman voting in '46 before winning the award and helping guide the squad to a 9-0 national championship and winning the Heisman a year later. Lujack missed 1944 and 1945 while serving in the United States Navy during World War II.

1949 - Leon Hart

Notre Dame's defensive end and co-captain Leon Hart holds the Heisman Memorial Trophy prior to the official presentation to him of the nation's outstanding college football player award in New York City on Dec. 7, 1949. (AP Photo)

Things were much different back in 1949 as we all know as Hart became one of just two ends to win the Heisman Trophy after compiling 19 receptions for five touchdowns that season as the Irish went 10-0 and again won a national championship. The Heisman Trophy winner went an absurd 36-0-2 in his four seasons at Notre Dame.

1953 - Johnny Lattner

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 1952, file photo, Notre Dame's John Lattner (14) reaches for a pass during a college football game against Navy in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Preston Stroup, File)

The 1953 Heisman Trophy-winning Johnny Lattner didn't lead Notre Dame in rushing, passing, or scoring, but did total 651 rushing yards and nine touchdowns during his award-winning campaign.

1956 - Paul Hornung

File-This Dec. 12. 1956, file photo shows Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung imitating the posture of the Heisman Trophy that he received at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City. Hornung, the dazzling “Golden Boy” of the Green Bay Packers whose singular ability to generate points as a runner, receiver, quarterback, and kicker helped turn them into an NFL dynasty, has died, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. He was 84. (AP Photo, File)

Who cares that Notre Dame went just 2-8 in 1956, they were led by perhaps their most talented player of all-time as the "Golden Boy" Paul Hornung compiled 1,337 yards of offense, seven touchdowns, and to this day remains the only player from a losing team to have won a Heisman Trophy.

John Huarte - 1964

John Huarte, University of Notre Dame quarterback, is shown with the Heisman Memorial Trophy, awarded to him as the year's outstanding college football player, at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York, on December 3, 1964. (AP Photo)

John Huarte didn't as much earn a varsity letter during his junior year of 1963 when Notre Dame went just 2-7, but in Ara Parseghian's first year on campus Huarte went to national stardom in throwing for 2,062 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nearly bringing the Irish a national championship.

1987 - Tim Brown

FILE - In this Dec. 5, 1987 file photo, Notre Dame's wide receiver and kick return specialist Tim Brown poses with the Heisman Trophy after being named 1987's best college football player at New York's Downtown Athletic Club. Brown is among 16 players to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, it was announced Thursday, April 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm, File)

The electric Tim Brown returned three punts for scores in 1987 while scoring four other times on the year as he helped Notre Dame return to a bowl game for the first time since 1984 as he remains the most recent Heisman Trophy winner to wear the gold and blue.

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