Saint Joan of Arc Helps Upset Army; How One of Notre Dame’s Beloved Traditions Was Started
- Alex Madsen
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Notre Dame Football has over 900 victories, won 11 national championships, and had 113 All-Americans throughout its storied history.
Photos via Fr. Nate Wills/IG (@praylikeachampiontoday)
The most storied program in College Football has seemingly been helped by a divine spirit through its legendary tenure on the gridiron. It is no surprise that the most prestigious Roman Catholic institution would call upon Our Lady and the Saints before taking the field.
Furthermore, it is even less shocking that this spiritual intervention is as alive as when it started under legendary Head Coach Knute Rockne. The team chaplain for the Irish, Rev. Nate Wills C.S.C, details the legendary moment in his new book ‘Pray Like a Champion Today’.
Over 30,000 fans crowd the wooden bleachers of Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn, New York, anxiously awaiting the October 13th battle of the undefeated football teams. Army had just won two straight games coming off an undefeated season in 1922. The Black Knights were heavily favored going against the scrappy Notre Dame squad led by the newly dominant Knute Rockne. Rockne was well known for his ability to market games, especially in the Catholic immigrant-dominated, density-rich haven of New York City.
The matchup between Notre Dame and Army was heavily anticipated, especially after Army announced a Hollywood star would be kicking off for the Knights. Undaunted, team chaplain (and future cardinal) Rev. John Francis O’Hara C.S.C offered the Notre Dame boys a simple rebuttal in the locker room.
"that if they (Army) had this Hollywood star on their side, St. Joan of Arc would be on our side"
Father O’Hara then handed out St. Joan of Arc medals to each of the boys. The French warrior Saint ended up helping the Irish that day, as Notre Dame shocked Army in a 13-0 upset.
This famous victory sparked Catholic boys from all over the United States to start wearing Saint medals before taking the field. Furthermore, this tradition has been passed down to each Notre Dame team, including the 2026 squad.
Each game features a new and unique saint that Fr. Wills talks about before the team takes the field. Players often keep the medals long after the game as mementos. The saints run on a five-year rotation; that way, seniors won’t get the same medals. Some saints are more helpful than others, as Fr. Wills humorously recalls.
“The holy medal in 2023 against Marshall was Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the one for the 2024 loss against Northern Illinois University was St. Rome of Lima- perhaps these great saints from Mexico and Peru mistakenly filed our prayer under futbol instead of “American Football.”
Fr. Wills also passes out extra medals to members of the sideline such as the referees, equipment managers, sports medicine professionals, security, and more. The Holy Cross priest then shares the story of the game's saint and why they are relevant for that day's matchup.
Fr. Wills has also started an Instagram account displaying the saint of the game after the Notre Dame basketball chaplain Fr. Pete McCormick, C.S.C (famous voice of the 3rd quarter ‘Call to Mass’) encouraged him to. Fans can follow @PrayLikeAChampionToday on Instagram to know which saint will hopefully intercede for the Irish for the upcoming matchup.
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