it hard to imagine in this day and age how popular and how much of an impact a norwegian immigrant and would be chemist have on the american public and how much of a national tragedy his sudden death in 1931 be view . but knute rockne be an extraordinary individual who both revolutionize and popularize college football and put a small obscure catholic college on the map . i have hear clip of rockne famous pep talk and it be uncanny how pat obrien get the voice and the inflection perfectly . in what turn out to be his career role and pat obrien capture the integrity and fight spirit that be rockne . rockne be assist by well by gale page a bonnie stile rockne who complain about her home be a training camp for notre dame and but never throw anyone out of her house . rockne first impact on football be a a player with notre dame not a coach . one fine day in the second half of a losing football game against heavily favor army and rockne and team mate gu dorais play by owen davis use the forward pas a an offensive weapon . before that football be simply a game where you just get big guy for your side and run through the defense . rockne do not invent the forward pas and but he popularize and football become a game of strategy as well a brawn after that . rockne know how to work the medium also . those well publicized pep talk of his be not just to inspire his player . they be well publicize and it be in a lot due to him that college football become a major sport in that golden age of sport in the roaring twenty . play a small and but key role be ronald reagan . a george gipp and the first player rockne coach to achieve greatness and reagan not only get a good performance and but forever after a name that be handy in his subsequent political career . that deathbed scene which rockne swore be accurate become a republican battle cry a many a gop underdog go out to win one for the gipper . i still remember a widely distribute photograph in 1981 that be one of the first of recover president ronald reagan at notre dame graduation with his old friend pat obrien . reagan always credit obrien and dick powell of all the warner brother star of the period a the one who be the kind and most encouraging to a young player on the lot try to make good . notre dame itself owe it prestige to rockne . it quite possible that notre dame would be an obscure small catholic college without the reputation that football bring to it . though george gipp and the later famous backfield of the four horseman certainly have their place in the sun it be rockne who have the reputation . it no accident that warner brother be able to get amos alonzo stagg and glenn pop warner and howard jones and and william spaulding and rockne contemporary and coach with great reputation in their own right to appear in knute rockne and all american . it be there way of honor the guy who be number one in their profession . i think more than football fan will enjoy knute rockne and all american . though you might become one after see the film .