Ara (the player)

[SixtiesFan]

BTW, I think that Parseghian got a bad rap in the 1966 "Game of the Century" by supposedly going for the tie against Michigan State. Notre Dame was a crippled team losing their sensational All-American running back Nick Eddy before the game and losing QB Terry Hanratty and center George Goeddeke (both All-Americans) early in the game. The "Irish" still managed to come back from a 10-0 deficit to tie the game up. I don't blame Ara for playing it the way he did rather than maybe throwing the game away by doing something foolish.

Ara and others pointed out that MSU punted the ball away with a little more than a minute remaining, so their coach could also be accused of playing for a tie if Ara was.

Great players on both teams like Alan Page, Bubba Smith, Jim Lynch, George Webster, Gene Washington, Jim Seymour, Clint Jones, Rocky Bleier, Larry Conger, etc.

Dan Jenkins, then the main college football writer for SI, ripped Parseghian for going for the tie. Jenkins also made a valid criticism of ND for avoiding the bowl games. Notre Dame could have played Alabama (risking the national championship) in the 1967 Sugar Bowl but loftily declined "because our players are taking final examinations so we can't play bowl games."

But three years later, Notre Dame suddenly decided "final exams" didn't prevent them from meeting Texas in the Cotton Bowl. I recall Parseghian in a TV interview. He said something like "We will play in a bowl game if we're playing the Number One team."

Regarding the proposed 1967 Sugar Bowl game between Notre Dame and Alabama.

If we turn things around a little:

Suppose that in 1966, Alabama was number 1 and Notre Dame was number 2 or 3, and suppose that Notre Dame's team was completely healthy and at full strength and Alabama had their quarterback, Ken Stabler, injured and out for the season.

Under those conditions, do you think that Alabama still would have wanted to play Notre Dame in the 1967 Sugar Bowl? I don't think so.

The point Dan Jenkins was making is that Notre Dame would not have accepted a bid to play Alabama in the 1967 Sugar Bowl if Terry Hanratty was healthy.

[Jay Z]

Sorry about the spelling. Conjar had the bad luck to be playing in the same backfield as Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green giving him little or no chance to break into the Browns starting lineup as a pro. He did make some good runs when he did play.

There was also Kevin Hardy and Pete Duranko on Notre Dame's defensive line in 1966.

What happened to Hardy as a pro? He kept getting traded and seemingly barely played. Injuries?

[BD Sullivan]

Sorry about the spelling. Conjar had the bad luck to be playing in the same backfield as Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green giving him little or no chance to break into the Browns starting lineup as a pro. He did make some good runs when he did play.

There was also Kevin Hardy and Pete Duranko on Notre Dame's defensive line in 1966.

What happened to Hardy as a pro? He kept getting traded and seemingly barely played. Injuries?

Bingo.

He was sent to SF in 1968 as compensation for the Saints signing Dave Parks--even before he had played a down for the Saints. He missed the following year with a knee injury and had this sort of luck--the night after he had surgery, the guard rail on his bed collapsed and he fell out of bed--necessitating another surgery

After four exhibition games in 1970, Dick Nolan dealt him to the Packers, where he spent a year and then ended up in San Diego the following year, where he played two seasons.

During his time with GB, the team's trainer, Domenic Gentile had no problem recalling him when asked about taping up players. Gentile said that Hardy had to have both shoulder, ankles and wrists taped before every game--a process that took 40 minutes.

[Saban1]

Another Notre Dame player missing from the 1966 GOTC was tackle George Kunz, who was injured earlier in the season. Kunz was the second player taken in the 1969 NFL draft behind a guy named O J something or other. Kunz was an immediate starter on Atlanta's offensive line as a rookie and had a long career with the Falcons.