b. 1888 d.1931
Born Knut Rokne in
Voss,
Norway he emigrated to the United States at age 5. Rockne went on to become a
football coaching legend at
Notre Dame with a record of 105 wins, 12 losses, and 5 ties from 1918 to 1931.
Rockne was a charismatic coach known for his fiery halftime speeches. But he was also an innovator. He was among the first coaches to utilize a shift in formation and to adopt the forward pass.
Rockne was the subject of a 1940 film biography -- Knute Rockne, All American -- that had Ronald Reagan playing George Gipp, which produced the famous line, "win just one for the Gipper". Reagan's was a minor role, but 'the Gipper' stuck as a nickname throughout his life.
Rockne died at the age of 43 in a plane crash.
I have it on good authority (Chattering Magpie) that the 'k' in Knute is NOT silent.