Dance and the Football Backfield

Knute Rockne was the inspirational Notre Dame coach who revolutionized football with the forward pass and intricate backfield formations.  He wasn’t afraid to learn from dancers.

His team was undefeated in 1924, in part because Rockne borrowed choreography from a Chicago chorus line.

The film, Knute Rockne All American, shows the coach treating his team to a night in the theatre.  While the players enjoy the girls, Rockne is making notes on the chorus line maneuvers.  Later, with piano accompaniment, he rehearses four players with his adapted choreography for the football field.

These four players became known as the “Four Horseman of the Apocalypse,” decimating all opponents and leading Notre Dame to a national championship.