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How the “Hail Mary” Atlanta prayer turned into a football staple 100 years ago
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At a time when conference realignment is ubiquitous and traditional college football rivalries have been swept aside in the interest of network television money, this weekend in Atlanta, something old and something new.
#12 Notre Dame facing an improved Georgia Tech team inside Mercedes Benz Stadium downtown.
Among those watching the game, former Atlanta Falcons offensive guard (1981-1990), musician, author John Scully who lives outside of Chicago, one of the greatest football players in Notre Dame history, “ After the Falcons drafted me in '81, I remember riding through downtown Atlanta for the first time on the trip from the airport northward to the Suwanee facility. What I remember best is the downtown connector had only 2 lanes in each direction.”
Atlanta has changed and so too, the football game between the two schools.
The Irish and the Yellow Jackets first met more than a century ago at Grant Field.
“It is southern football’s greatest opportunity. It will mean the greatest possible impetus to football in this section,” wrote Craddick Goins of the Atlanta Constitution.
October 28, 1922.
The game yielded two famous moments lost to time but still resonate in the annals of college football.
The charismatic, legendary Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne, brought his team to Atlanta via train looking for national exposure to a burgeoning program.
He warned his team to be on guard against a smattering of “rebel yells,” coming from the stands in support of Georgia Tech.
The confederate screams, Rockne added, could be disconcerting.
The Yellow Jackets were known as the “Golden Tornado” in 1922 and were coached by the domineering taskmaster William Alexander.
Coach Rockne was famous for one impassioned pregame speech a season. He selected the GT game as the time to trot out one of his most famous.
“We’re meeting a great team in Georgia Tech today, the greatest in the South. We’re playing in a climate that is warm and new to us, that may give us trouble. Live for Notre Dame, remember that Georgia Tech will be playing not only for Tech but the honor of southern football, I don’t want to go back home and admit we failed.”
As if that wasn’t dramatic enough, Coach Rockne took a rumpled telegram out of his pocket, after staring at the words on the paper with pause, he read aloud: “Please win the game for my daddy. It’s very important to him.”
“It’s from Billy,” revealed Coach Rockne, referring to his 6 year old son who had become the de facto team mascot, “he’s very ill and is in the hospital.”
The Notre Dame players began to weep; others jumped up and vowed to destroy Georgia Tech.
Outside the locker room, 18,000 to 20,000 had gathered at Grant Field with SRO (standing room only).
The game also marked the first ever reference to a football generational staple, “The Hail Mary” play.
Notre Dame Lineman Noble Kizer asked his Fighting Irish teammates to pray for QB Harry Struhldreher as he attempted to complete a pass on fourth and goal.
It worked.
After the “Hail Mary” prayer, a Notre Dame touchdown to take a 7-3 lead on Georgia Tech.
Later, third and goal, Notre Dame prayed to Mary again, touchdown Irish.
14-3 Notre Dame wins.
“That Hail Mary, is the best play we have,” said ND lineman Kizer after the game.
Notre Dame took home $7,000 in Atlanta ticket sales revenue.
The Augusta Chronicle: “It is the greatest visiting team that has ever played on Grant Field, and Georgia Tech has no alibis to offer for her defeat.”
As for little Billy Rockne, the 6 year old with health problems? He was waiting for the team when they arrived in South Bend from Atlanta.
According to a reporter, who greeted Billy, “you never saw a healthier kid in your life, he had never been in the hospital except for the day he was born.”
Moral of the story: Always pray and never let facts get in the way of a good pregame motivational speech.
(Info from Golden Rankings)
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