When Knute Rockne immigrated to America as a child from Norway, he did not speak English or understand American football. When he died, he was the country’s most famous college football coach, and the president, religious leaders and Notre Dame football fans mourned his passing.
Knute Rockne was born in Norway in 1888. His father first immigrated to America alone, a common practice. In 1893, his father sent for Knute and Knute’s mother and two sisters. The family settled in Chicago. “Like many immigrant fathers, Lars Rockne didn’t know quite what to make of his son’s athletic ambitions,” writes Jerry Brondfield, author of Rockne: The Coach, the Man, the Legend. “Besides, at age 13, Knute was the smallest boy in his class.”
Because of his size, Rockne only played in one varsity football game during his high school career. His father encouraged him to take the civil service exam and Knute dropped out of high school and started working in the post office. But his desire to play sports never faded.
