Jerry Groom dominates the trenches as an unstoppable force for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, leading his team to a national championship before conquering the National Football League.
Football Bio
August 15, 1929 – Jerry Groom, a center from Notre Dame, was born. Jerry was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. After graduation, he played in the NFL for the Chicago Cardinals from 1951 through the 1955 season, making the Pro Bowl in 1954.
Enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994, he was selected sixth overall in the 1951 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals, where he played five seasons in the trenches.
Jerry Groom cements his legacy as one of football’s premier interior giants. By anchoring Notre Dame’s championship run and subsequently thriving in the brutal NFL trenches, he embodies the ultimate standard of grit, talent, and leadership on the gridiron.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1994.
- National Champion: 1949 (Notre Dame Fighting Irish).
- Consensus First-Team All-American: 1950.
- Pro Bowl Selection: 1954 (Chicago Cardinals).
- NFL First-Round Draft Pick: 6th overall in the 1951 NFL Draft.
- Notre Dame Team Captain: 1950.
- All-Star Leadership: Co-Captain of the 1951 College All-Star Game and Captain of the East Team in the 1951 East-West Shrine Game.
- Harvey G. Foster Award: Honored by the Notre Dame Alumni Association in 2006 for distinguished civic service.
