What’s it like to walk through life with “legendary” as the pre-fix to your name? Few of us will ever know. But we do know that Johnny Lattner pulled it off with a lightness and grace that only added to his, well, legendary status.
Mr. Lattner died Saturday at 83. The native Oak Parker made his mark early as an absolute football standout at Fenwick and in 1953 as the Heisman Trophy winner while leading Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish. He was named the top college player in both 1952 and 1953 and, by the way, made the cover of Time.
Those are legendary feats, no doubt.
But it was in the life he went on to lead, the family he made, the years in the military, the loyalty to Fenwick which he displayed in every act and which was always reciprocated, that the legend grew and deepened.
Simply a fine and generous man who knew where he came from and honored that history. He will be remembered and missed.