Four Horsemen (American football)

The "Four Horsemen" is the collective nickname given to the University of Notre Dame's celebrated backfield from their 1924 football team. Composed of halfbacks Jim Crowley and Don Miller, quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, and fullback Elmer Layden, the quartet led Notre Dame to an undefeated 10–0 season and the national championship.

The name originated from a publicity stunt orchestrated by Notre Dame student manager George Strickler. He persuaded a local photographer to take a picture of the four players on horseback, and a press release accompanying the photo compared them to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation. This vivid imagery, combined with the team's success, quickly captured the public's imagination.

Grantland Rice, a prominent sportswriter for the New York Herald Tribune, further popularized the nickname with his dramatic account of Notre Dame's victory over Army on October 18, 1924. His article began: "Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden."

The moniker "Four Horsemen" became synonymous with speed, power, and skill in football. It solidified the legacies of Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley, and Layden, who all went on to achieve success after college, both on and off the field. Their story remains a significant part of Notre Dame's football history and a symbol of excellence in the sport.