Joseph Boland

Joe Boland was a 1927 graduate of Notre Dame and football star under Knute Rockne. Few people know that a collision on the field with his teammate and boyhood friend, Joe Maxwell, (in a 20-7 win over Minnesota in October 1926) ended his career by severely breaking his leg. Joe Boland went on to coach but left to pursue a broadcasting career during the Great Depression as his coaches salary had been cut in half. He took a pay cut a few years into his career to return to Notre Dame and coach under Elmer Layden. When Layden moved on, so did Joe. He was employed a year with WGN. His heart wasn’t in it so he returned to South Bend to become the voice of the Irish, founding the WestwoodOne broadcast network.