Notre Dame great Rick Mirer through the years (2024)

Nick Shepkowski

March 19, 2023 6:00 am ET

Before the game of football became as pass-heavy as it has, Rick Mirer was busy helping lead Notre Dame to three straight major bowl games in the early 90’s with both his arm and his legs. Mirer won 29 games he starred for Lou Holtz and Notre Dame between 1990 and 1992 and his 18 touchdown passes in 1991 were a then-school record.

After leading Notre Dame Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl victories over Florida and Texas A&M respectively, Mirer was the second player to have his name called in the 1993 NFL draft. That remains the highest a Notre Dame player has been taken in the NFL draft since, something Kyle Hamilton hopes to match next month.

Mirer never won a national title at Notre Dame but he was the star quarterback on some fantastic teams. Celebrate his birthday, which he shares with other Irish greats Julian Love and Quenton Nelson, by taking a look at some of his best photos at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame v Michigan State

EAST LANSING, MI - SEPTEMBER 22, 1990: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish…

EAST LANSING, MI - SEPTEMBER 22, 1990: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish drops back during the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on September 22, 1990 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Brian Masck/Getty Images)

Stanford v Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 6, 1990: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish…

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 6, 1990: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish dives during the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium on October 6, 1990 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images)

Notre Dame v Navy

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 3: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks…

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 3: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on during the game against the Navy Midshipmen at Giants Stadium on November 3, 1990 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Notre Dame v Michigan

ANN ARBOR, MI - SEPTEMBER 14, 1991: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish…

ANN ARBOR, MI - SEPTEMBER 14, 1991: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the ball during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on September 14, 1991 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Brian Masck/Getty Images)

Rick Mirer

12 Sep 1992: Quarterback Rick Mirer of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes the ball during…

12 Sep 1992: Quarterback Rick Mirer of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes the ball during a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The teams tied at 17-17. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport

Rick Mirer

12 Sep 1992: Quarterback Rick Mirer of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish stands on the field…

12 Sep 1992: Quarterback Rick Mirer of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish stands on the field during a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The teams tied at 17-17. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport

Michigan v Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 12, 1992: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish…

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 12, 1992: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish drops back to pass during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium on September 12, 1992 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Michigan v Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 12, 1992: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish…

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 12, 1992: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium on September 12, 1992 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

1993 Cotton Bowl: Notre Dame v Texas A&M

DALLAS - JANUARY 1, 1993: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks for…

DALLAS - JANUARY 1, 1993: Rick Mirer #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks for a receiver during the Cotton Bowl game against the Texas A&M Aggies at the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1993 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

NCAA Football: USA TODAY Sports-Archive

Nov 10, 1990; Knoxville, TN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quaterback Rick Mirer (3)…

Nov 10, 1990; Knoxville, TN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quaterback Rick Mirer (3) in action against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

US PRESSWIRE Sports Archive

Aug 1992; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Irish quarterback Rick Mirer in action against…

Aug 1992; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Irish quarterback Rick Mirer in action against Northwestern at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports

US PRESSWIRE Sports Archive

Aug 1992; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Irish quarterback Rick Mirer in action against…

Aug 1992; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Irish quarterback Rick Mirer in action against Northwestern at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports

NCAA Football: USA TODAY Sports-Archive

Unknown date and location 1992; USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarter back Rick Mirer…

Unknown date and location 1992; USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarter back Rick Mirer on the sidelines during the 1992 season. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

NCAA Football: USA TODAY Sports-Archive

Unknown date and location; USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Rick Mirer in action…

Unknown date and location; USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Rick Mirer in action during the 1992 season. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

NCAA Football: USA TODAY Sports-Archive

Unknown date 1992; South Bend, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Rick Mirer…

Unknown date 1992; South Bend, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Rick Mirer (3) in action at Notre Dame Stadium during the 1992 season. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame great Rick Mirer through the years (2024)

FAQs

How many times has Michigan beaten Notre Dame? ›

Michigan leads the all-time series 25–17*–1. The NCAA has vacated Notre Dame one win due to NCAA sanctions.

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When was the last time Notre Dame won a national championship? ›

A big reason for that reputation is their sustained success across the 1900s. Frank Leahy led Notre Dame to six of their national championships (two as a player and four as a head coach). Their most recent national championship was in 1988, when the Fighting Irish defeated West Virginia 34-21 in the Fiesta Bowl.

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Why did Michigan stop playing Notre Dame? ›

Since 1970 ND leads the series 30-15 but they haven't played each other since 2017. Why did Notre Dame stop playing Michigan? Notre Dame insisted on remaining Independent in football, and joined the ACC for all other sports. This limited its scheduling freedom, and Michigan was dropped from its annual schedule.

Learn More Now ›

Who did Rick Meyer play for? ›

Rick Mirer

No. 3, 5, 12, 13
College:	Notre Dame
NFL draft:	1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
Seattle Seahawks (1993–1996) Chicago Bears (1997) Green Bay Packers (1998) New York Jets (1999) San Francisco 49ers (2000–2001) Oakland Raiders (2002–2003) Detroit Lions (2004)

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Who is Notre Dame's greatest rival? ›

Notre Dame's main rival is the University of Southern California. The Notre Dame–USC football rivalry has been played annually since 1926, except from 1943 to 1945 and 2020, and is regarded as the greatest intersectional series in college football.

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Who is Notre Dame's biggest rival in college football? ›

The Trojans, of course, play in the Pac-12, while Notre Dame is currently independent. The two legendary college football programs have never played in the same conference, yet hold one of the most historic rivalries in all of college football annually. So how did the rivalry between Notre Dame and USC come to be?

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How many unclaimed national championships does Notre Dame have? ›

The Fighting Irish are among the most prestigious college football teams of all-time. Since their inaugural season in 1887, Notre Dame has won 11 consensus national championships, including 8 from the major wire-service (AP, Coaches'),and has an additional 11 unclaimed co-national champions for a total of 22.

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Who was the last Heisman winner from Notre Dame? ›

Tim Brown

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Who has the most wins in Notre Dame history? ›

Brian Kelly Notre Dame's All-Time Winningest Coach – Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Official Athletics Website.

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Will Notre Dame ever play Michigan again? ›

Michigan also leads its series against Ohio State with a 60-51-6 record, including two straight wins against the Buckeyes in 2021 and 2022. Michigan is not scheduled to meet Notre Dame again until the 2033 and 2034 season, while Ohio State will see the Wolverines Nov.

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What year has Michigan won the national championship? ›

Michigan Wolverines football
Playoff record	2–2
Claimed national titles	12 (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997, 2023)
Unclaimed national titles	7 (1910, 1925, 1926, 1964, 1973, 1976, 1985)
National finalist	1 (2023)

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Who taught Notre Dame how to play football? ›

You have heard that Michigan taught Notre Dame how to play this game. This is true of course, and the details of that meeting are chronicled in John Kryk's outstanding book Natural Enemies.

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Who was Rick Meyer quarterback? ›

Professional Athletic Background: 2nd overall pick in NFL draft; played 12 years in NFL for Seattle, Chicago, Green Bay, NY Jets, San Francisco, Oakland, and Detroit. Professional Athletic Honors: NFL rookie record for attempts, completions, and yards; started every game as a rookie.

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Who was drafted after Drew Bledsoe? ›

New England Patriots

Drew Bledsoe / Drafted by team

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Who was the quarterback under Urban Meyer? ›

Meyer would later use such quarterbacks as Alex Smith and Tim Tebow in a fashion similar to the way Meyer used Harris.

What is the all-time record for Notre Dame vs Michigan State? ›

Notre Dame leads the all-time series 48–28–1.

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What's harder to get into, Michigan or Notre Dame? ›

Is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor or University of Notre Dame Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into? If you're looking at acceptance rate alone, then University of Notre Dame is more difficult to get into.

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Has Michigan ever beaten Georgia? ›

The Bulldogs won 15-7 in a game coached by Vince Dooley and Chalmers “Bump” Elliott. The only other meeting came in 1957, a 26-0 Michigan victory in a game coached by Wallace Butts and Bennie G. Oosterbaan.

Notre Dame great Rick Mirer through the years (2024)

FAQs

How many times has Michigan beaten Notre Dame? ›

What year has Michigan won the national championship? ›

References