100 years of the Four Horsemen: a legacy like no other

Today, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of a cornerstone in Notre Dame’s history:

On October 18, 1924, Notre Dame triumphed over Army in a 13–7 victory that would echo through the ages, and Grantland Rice wrote what is arguably the most famous passage in sports journalism and immortalized Notre Dame’s backfield in history.

“Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden.

They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.”

— Grantland Rice, October 18, 1924, New York Herald Tribune

George Strickler, Coach Rockne’s student publicity aide, made sure the name “Four Horsemen” stuck. After the team returned to South Bend, Strickler posed the four players in their uniforms on horseback, using horses from a local stable. The photo was picked up by wire services, solidifying the legendary status of the Four Horsemen.

The Four Horsemen—quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, right halfback Don Miller, left halfback Jim Crowley, and fullback Elmer Layden—dominated the field under Coach Knute Rockne, losing only two games in their three years together. The October 18, 1924, victory over Army was a key point in Notre Dame’s 10–0 national championship season, capped by a 27–10 win over Stanford in the 1925 Rose Bowl. The name “the Four Horsemen” transformed this backfielder team into one of the most notable groups of collegiate athletes in football history, immortalizing their triumphs.

In recognition of their dominance, all four “Horsemen” were elected to the College Football Hall of Fame—Layden in 1951, Stuhldreher in 1958, Crowley in 1966, and Miller in 1970. In 1998, the United States Postal Service honored the Four Horsemen with their own stamp as part of 15 commemorative postage stamps saluting “The Roaring Twenties.”

Through your gifts to the Rockne Athletics Fund, you don’t just honor Notre Dame’s history—you make it possible. By standing with us, you ensure the next legendary group of student-athletes like the Four Horsemen can attend Notre Dame through financial aid, and achieve excellence with the best academic and athletic opportunities in the country. Together, we are writing the next chapter of the Notre Dame story. Thank you.