Knute Rockne Biography

Knute Rockne Biography

Knute Kenneth Rockne was born on March 4, 1988. He was born in Voss, Norway, which is where he immigrated from to America. At the age of five his family immigrated to the Logan Square District of Chicago, Illinois. Knute attended Northwest Division High School in Chicago where he played football and ran track. After High School Knute worked as a mail dispatcher with the Chicago Post Office for four years. After saving up enough money over the years, he continued his education by enrolling at the University Of Notre Dame at the age of 22 years old.

At Notre Dame every student was required to play a sport. Knute chose to play football for the Fighting Irish. He played as a scrub as a freshmen, so he decided to turn to track. He set the school record for men’s pole vault by vaulting twelve feet four inches in the air. Knute then gave football a second chance, which turned out to be a phenomenal decision. He was named to Walter Camp All America Squad as a third string end. His most famous catch was in the important upset of Army in 1913, this brought attention to Notre Dame, and the use of the forward pass in college football.

Knute was as brilliant as a student as he was as an athlete. He attended Notre Dame to study chemistry. He studied this for four years, and ended up graduating near the top of his class. He graduated with a 90.52, which was on a scale of 100. He was given a position as an assistant coach at Notre Dame after graduating.

Rockne served under Head Coach Jesse Harper for four years from 1914-1918. He developed blunt one on one relationships with his players, rather than Harper who was quite mild-mannered. Knute was rather embarrassed because his players would come to him with their problems, rather than the head coach. Mr. Harper and the University trusted him so much after a period of time that he was in charge of the money when the team would travel. He paid for the team’s meal, and gave them money before mass on Sundays. After Harper’s father became ill in 1918, he decided to leave Notre Dame and tend to him on his ranch in Kansas. He implied that Knute receive the job, and be his successor. Knute was given a one year contract on a salary of five thousand dollars.