During Notre Dame’s 1973 National Championship football season, Eric Penick scored two of the most important touchdowns in Fighting Irish history: A game breaking 85-yard score against USC and a pivotal TD against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

“A Notre Dame Man: The Life, Lore and Runs of Eric Penick” tells the story behind those runs, what came before, and what came after.

Growing up Black in Cleveland during the Civil Rights Era, Penick was bright, charismatic and superbly talented. He was a five-time state champion sprinter and an All American running back at Gilmour Academy, becoming the most heralded Notre Dame recruit ever. Playing under fabled Irish coach Ara Parseghian, Penick was exceeding the hype before a football injury changed the course of his life.

This gripping autobiography lays bare the adversity and the triumph Penick went through after he left Notre Dame. The reader is taken through the hero’s journey of Penick’s life including his successful business career, his time spent in prison, his redemption after rediscovering his faith and becoming a minister, and losing his leg due to complications from his football injury and diabetes.

“A Notre Dame Man: The Life, Lore and Runs of Eric Penick” is a triumphant portrait of this Notre Dame legend’s life and lore.