I certainly don't know Anthony Harden and that is before
by G.K.Chesterton (2022-07-22 17:58:14)

In reply to: off the front page  posted by olson


my time at ND, but note the following from the late Lou Somogyi talking about the 1974 recruiting class (bolding mine):


SUMMARY

From an NFL perspective, it was not a superb class, other than the Hall of Fame achievements of Montana. MacAfee, who is in the College Hall of Fame, was a first-round pick whose pro career was brief. But at Notre Dame, this group helped spearhead a national title, provided quantity and quality, and was well balanced.

Two reasons it wasn’t ranked higher are 1) the program already was top-five caliber when it arrived, so it’s not like it had to turn around fortunes and 2) it received a lot of help from the 1975 haul (which is right on the cusp of top 10) and three fifth-year seniors from 1973 — Browner, Luther Bradley and Willie Fry — so it’s not like it had to carry the load. Still, it comprised the bulk of starters or co-starters en route to a national title.

This also was Notre Dame’s last all-white haul to graduate. Among the 31 who signed in ’74, only one (Anthony Harden) was black, and he transferred early in his career.


Harden was the only black recruit in his class. He could have transferred for numerous reasons, of course, but could he left in part because he felt isolated? (Example: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wanted out from Milwaukee in 1974 because he felt culturally isolated.)