Campus Life this month features an article by Joe Doyle of the South Bend Tribune entitled “Creighton Remembers.” Courtesy of the University of Notre Dame Archives.”

JUST IN JEST: When Creighton Miller and John Lujack were here over the weekend for the Hall of Fame chapter dinner and the Bob Cahill testimonial, Miller got to reminiscing about the first game the two of them played in the Irish backfield.

"It was 1943 and we played the opener at Pittsburgh, "remembered Miller" John was from Connellsville and Coach (Frank) Leahy asked Bert (regular quarterback Angelo Bertelli) if he minded if John (a sophomore) started the game in front of his folks.

"We were much better than Pitt in that wartime year. And it wasn't long until we had a first down at the Pitt 2. John called '22 on 3,' a simple play that called for me (the left half) to hit the No. 2 hole on the third count. But instead of John pivoting to his left, he went right and had to dive back to the line to keep from losing yardage .

"We went back to the huddle and I said, 'I'm Creighton Miller. I wear No. 37 and I'm your left halfback. On that play, I am supposed to take the handoff.' John apologized and called the same play - Jim White and Pat Filley had opened a huge hole -but the same thing happened. By this time the Pitt players were laughing and John called the play the third time.

"This time, he got it right and I scored. But I never let him forget it.  A few years ago, we were in Florida together and we were having a little party for John's birthday. We were looking for something to pull on John when I told one of our friends the story. She was going to be at the party, so she wrote a little poem called '22 on 3' for John.

"When I got back to Cleveland, I had my golf pro order three dozen balls for John imprinted only with “22 on 3.' I figure he'd see that every time he lined up to hit the ball and it would break his concentration. But he still beats me."

Luj beat Miller again on Friday when they played at South Bend Country Club. "Maybe he'll keep on beating me," said Creighton, but Lujack, a Hall of Famer since 1960, "wonders why it took so long for Miller to be honored.

"I played three years here and four with the Bears and he was the best halfback I ever handed off to," said Lujack.

Or didn't hand off to twice in that 1943 game in Pittsburgh.

ALL PRECINCTS IN: Another of Creighton's teammates added his endorsement Saturday evening at an impromptu party at the Holiday Inn. Zygmont Pierre Czarobski, who had to miss the Hall of Fame shindig because of a competing event (an affair for his boss, Michael Howlett, the nominee for governor in Illinois) was the host.

Miller learned of the party a few days in advance, when he received first a letter and then a phone call from Ziggie. The letter congratulated him on his Hall of Fame selection and reminded him that he wouldn't have made it without the tremendous holes opened up by the 1943 line of Paul Limont, Jim While, Pal Filley, Herb Coleman, Johnny Perko, Czarobski and John Yonakor.

At the bottom of the letter. signed "76," Ziggie diagrammed a typical play with the players identified by their jersey numbers and showing a big hole opened for No.37 (Miller).

"That's the way he sends things to us. He calls us by number instead of name," said Creighton. "And do you know that he called me and said, 'Creighton, I'm having this party in your honor. Bring a bottle of scotch.”