Hall of Fame Inductee Search
Jim "Sleepy Jim" Crowley
Position: Halfback
School: Notre Dame
High School: Green Bay, WI (East HS)
Years: 1922-1924
Inducted: 1966
Place of Birth: Chicago, IL
Date of Birth: 9/10/1902
Place of Death: Scranton, PA
Date of Death: 1/15/1986
Jersey Number: 18
Height: 5-11
Weight: 162
Member Biography:
Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne looked out to the field and
sized up his football candidates of 1922, his eyes settling upon
the 162-pound body of sophomore fullback Jim Crowley.
"Except for a nimble wit, Crowley shows me nothing," Rockne
would say to a nearby aide, jokingly nicknaming the Green
Bay, Wisconsin youngster, "Sleepy Jim." Even Rockne was
fooled by the slow-paced, relaxed motion of this stoop-
shouldered campus cut-up. As was normally the case,
Crowley would have the last laugh. He was destined to gain
1841 yards during his three-year career as a member of Notre
Dame's famed Four Horsemen backfield, helping the Irish to a
27-2-1 record. It wasn't long before Rockne had changed his
opinion, calling Jim "the nerviest back I've ever known." For
certain, it seemed Jim Crowley knew no fear as he frequently
hurled himself against the churning, crunching bodies of
charging defenders. The ultimate tribute to Crowley's talents
came in 1962 when a panel of 400 sports writers and
broadcasters made him the only one of the Four Horsemen
selected to their all-time Notre Dame team. Following
graduation, Crowley went on to head coaching jobs at
Michigan State and Fordham, posting a 78-27-6 record. At
Fordham, he developed the famed "Seven Blocks of Granite"
line.
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