Hall of Fame
Position: Fullback
Years: 1911-1914
Place of Birth: Columbus, OH
Date of Birth: Jul 15, 1892
Place of Death: Columbus, OH
Date of Death: Nov 09, 1949
Height: 6-0
Weight: 210
High School: Columbus, OH (East HS)
Notre Dame assistant football coach Knute Rockne was strolling across the South Bend campus one fall afternoon in 1917 when he came upon a young freshman named George Gipp. Rockne had been urging Gipp to come out for football. "I've got just the pair of cleats for you," the Rock told Gipp. "A special pair?" the young man wanted to know. "Yea," said Rockne, "they belonged to Ray Eichenlaub." " Who is he?" Gipp asked. "Around these parts he was known as a real Notre Dame man," Rockne replied. Of course, "The Gipper" went on to become a Notre Dame legend, something Eichenlaub had already done. Rockne had played end on the teams with "Iron Eich" and he knew the big fullback well. He admired this 210-pound back who was the bulwark of the Irish team - a big and strong runner blessed with a willingness to accept hard work. Eichenlaub bowled through opponents, scoring a career 176 points. During the 1913 season, alone, Ray hammered out a dozen TDs in seven games.
