Hall of Fame
Position: Linebacker
Years: 1986, 1988, 1990
Place of Birth: Baltimore, MD
Date of Birth: January 14, 1967
Jersey Number: 42
Height: 6-0
Weight: 226
High School: John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, Louisiana)
Using his exceptional football instincts and pass-coverage abilities, Michael Stonebreaker stood in the center of a Notre Dame defense that helped the undefeated Irish team capture the national title in 1988. The River Ridge, Louisiana, native now becomes the 49th Notre Dame player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame, joining his head coach Lou Holtz and teammates Tim Brown, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, Aaron Taylor and Chris Zorich as inductees.
A two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in 1988 and unanimous laurels in 1990, Stonebreaker finished third in the Butkus Award voting in both 1988 and 1990. During his three seasons playing in South Bend, the Irish went 26-9, including the undefeated 1988 season, which culminated with a 34-21 victory over West Virginia in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl and Notre Dame claiming the national title. Stonebreaker registered 104 tackles in 1988, second most on the team, playing for Holtz and defensive coordinator Barry Alvarez, who would later enter the College Football Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a head coach at Wisconsin.
Stonebreaker led Notre Dame with 95 tackles in 1990 after missing entire 1989 season. During his senior campaign, Stonebreaker was responsible for three of the biggest late-game defensive plays of the season. Against Michigan in the first game of the season, he made a game-deciding interception in the fourth quarter for a 28-24 win. The following week, Stonebreaker made another fourth quarter pick to secure a 20-19 victory over Michigan State. Midway through the season against the No. 2 ranked Miami Hurricanes, he sealed a 29-20 upset with a fourth-quarter fumble recovery at the Irish two-yard line.
The team went 9-3, earning a trip to the 1991 Orange Bowl to play Colorado who claimed a 10-9 win and a share of the national title. The Irish finished No. 6 in the final polls, and Stonebreaker received invitations to the Japan and Hula bowls.
During his three seasons in South Bend, he tallied 220 career tackles, eight pass breakups and five interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
Selected in the ninth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, Stonebreaker played three seasons in the league with Chicago, Atlanta, and New Orleans. He played one season in the World League for the Frankfurt Galaxy in 1995.
He currently resides in New Orleans, and he is the owner and operating partner of N.O. Brew Coffee, a cold-drip, handcrafted coffee product. He donates coffee grounds from N.O. Brew to The School at Blair Grocery. Stonebreaker has worked with Saveourlake.com to raise awareness for coastal erosion since 2005, and he is a member of Notre Dame NCSA Advisory Board.
