Rockne was born Knut Rokne in Voss, Norway, in March 1888. His father, a wagon-maker also named Knut Rokne, left Norway to display one of this models at the 1893 World Expo in Chicago. The model won several prizes, and Knut Sr. decided to stay in the U.S. His family joined him shortly afterward and the family made their home in the “Norwegian Colony” at Logan Square in Chicago.
Knut Jr. showed early signs of athletic talent, and in high school he excelled at sports. After high school, for a brief period he worked as a postal clerk. In 1910, he was accepted to Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. While he did well academically, it was on the football field that he truly shone, becoming one of top players for the Fighting Irish.
Upon graduating in 1914, he was offered a teaching job at the university, as well as a position as assistant coach for the football team. He was promoted to head coach in 1918. Thus began one of the most legendary coaching careers in college football history. Under Rockne’s tutelage, the Fighting Irish were virtually unbeatable. His main skill was his ability to motivate his players. However, he was also a remarkable and cunning tactician, credited with popularizing the forward pass as well as the “T-formation.” In 13 years as the head coach of Notre Dame, Rockne lost just 12 games. He won five national championships with the Fighting Irish, establishing Notre Dame as the dominant team of his era.
Entwined in the story of Rockne is that of one of the star players for Notre Dame from 1917-20, the All-America player George Gipp. Nicknamed “the Gipper,” Gipp died from illness in 1920. Rockne, his coach, was said to have been the last person to visit him on his deathbed. His last words to Rockne were supposedly as follows:
“I've got to go, Rock. It's all right. I'm not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy.”
In 1928, with Notre Dame losing to Army, Rockne used these words in a legendary halftime speech to his players, encouraging them to “win one for the Gipper.” Notre Dame went on to win the game 12-6. Although probably somewhat fictionalized, the locker room speech came to define Rockne as one of the truly great motivational speakers.
Rockne’s career and his famous speech were captured on screen in the 1940 Hollywood film Knute Rockne: All American. In it, Pat O’Brien plays Rockne, and future President Ronald Reagan plays George Gipp. Reagan would in fact go on to adopt “the Gipper” as his own nickname.
Rockne died in a plane crash in 1931, when he was only 43 years old. His funeral in South Bend was broadcast live on national radio. His legendary place in U.S. sports history endures. He is frequently ranked among the top three college football coaches of all time. There are memorials dedicated to Rockne in several places around the U.S., and there is even a town named after him, Rockne, Tex. In 1988, the Postal Service issued a Knute Rockne stamp.
In Norway, there is a statue as well as a memorial stone in his hometown Voss. Upon Rockne’s untimely death, King Haakon VII sent a personal envoy to attend the funeral. Messages were sent by both King Haakon VII and President Herbert Hoover.
Despite his unique standing in U.S. sports folklore, few Norwegians today have actually heard of Knute Rockne. This may seem odd, as Rockne is probably the most famous Norwegian immigrant in the U.S. The answer, however, probably lies in the fact that college football is a relatively unknown and exotic sport for most Norwegians.
Embassies have strict instructions not to meddle in the internal interests of the host country. In our interpretation, this also applies to one of the most fundamental national interests: sports. This means that we will not be taking sides in the upcoming championship game. Suffice it to say that the Embassy staff has both Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide supporters within its ranks. But no matter what your preference may be on Jan. 7, all Norwegians and Norwegian Americans have reason to be proud of one of the most remarkable immigrants to have crossed the Atlantic from Norway: Knute Rockne, All American.
--Keith Eikenes
Counselor, Defense and Security Policy
Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington