'Gold Helmet to Gold Jacket' exhibit celebrates Notre Dame’s influence on pro football

‘Gold Helmet to Gold Jacket’ shines spotlight on 14 Fighting Irish alums enshrined in Canton 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will “wake up the echoes” of the University of Notre Dame’s impact on professional football with a temporary exhibit titled, “Gold Helmet to Gold Jacket.” It opened to the public March 14.

Notre Dame’s influence on college football is unmatched and well documented. Less widely documented and appreciated has been the Fighting Irish’s influence on professional football, even prior to the birth of the National Football League in 1920. Knute Rockne, the father of Fighting Irish football, played professionally before, during and after his collegiate days (1910-13) as an end. 

Notre Dame has played a significant role in the development and growth of professional football, sending 633 players into the NFL — more than any other college or university. Of the 382 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 14 attended the university, a number tied with football rival Southern California for the most from any institution.

“Gold Helmet to Gold Jacket” is scheduled to run daily through April 27. It marks the third in a series of special exhibits the Hall of Fame will curate over the coming years to honor professional and collegiate teams for their contributions to the sport of football. Ohio State University will be featured in 2025. (Dates TBD.)

“Never before has the Pro Football Hall of Fame put together a special exhibit to feature a university program in this way,” said Jim Porter, president and CEO of the Hall. “We encourage every Fighting Irish fan to see this once-in-a-lifetime arrangement of artifacts and to get pictures taken with the 14 iconic Bronze Busts of the enshrinees from Notre Dame.”

DAVID CASPER, the Hall of Fame tight end (Class of 2002) and one of the 14 Notre Dame alums included in the exhibit, joined the ribbon-cutting March 14.

In a play nicknamed “Ghost to the Post,” Casper made a difficult, over-the-shoulder 42-yard reception to set up the tying field goal in the Oakland Raiders’ 37-31 double-overtime victory over the Baltimore Colts in the 1977 AFC Divisional Playoffs. The football he later caught for the 10-yard game-winning touchdown is displayed as part of the Notre Dame exhibit.

Other Notre Dame alumni and Pro Football Hall of Famers featured in the exhibit are: JEROME BETTIS, TIM BROWN, NICK BUONICONTI, GEORGE CONNOR, EDWARD J. DeBARTOLO JR., PAUL HORNUNG, EARL “CURLY” LAMBEAU, JOHN “BLOOD” McNALLY, WAYNE MILLNER, JOE MONTANA, ALAN PAGE, GEORGE TRAFTON and BRYANT YOUNG.

MORTEN ANDERSEN (Class of 2017), who was in Canton as part of the Hall’s Residency Program, also attended the ribbon-cutting and greeted fans.

Guests can see the Notre Dame alums’ items and busts in the “Gold Helmet to Gold Jacket” exhibit as part of their regular admission ticket. Other special events, such as “chalk talks” and autograph sessions, will be scheduled over the course of the exhibit’s run. Those programs will be announced soon. Get your admission tickets here.

In early 2024, the Hall unveiled “A Legacy Forged in Black & Gold” to celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers and the 50th anniversary of the year that changed the franchise forever. Soon thereafter, “A Legacy Unleashed,” a tribute to the Cleveland Browns, opened to mark anniversaries of its 1954 and 1964 NFL championships and other franchise milestones. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about visiting the Hall, go to ProFootballHOF.com/visit.