Happy Birthday, Ian Book!

When I think of Ian Book it’s not the game-winning touchdown he scored against Virginia Tech I remember first, it’s instead his 2018 performance against a stingy Northwestern team while playing with a rib injury that would keep him out the following week.

Ian Book has started 22 games at Notre Dame and has won all but three of them.  Today he celebrates his 22nd birthday and I get that he’s not every Notre Dame fan’s cup of tea, but he’s going to leave the Notre Dame football program towards the top of several lists.

He will enter 2020 sixth in all-time passing yards at Notre Dame and have a real shot to be second on that list by seasons end as just 2030 yards separate him from Jimmy Clausen.  Brady Quinn sits atop with 11,762 passing yards.

His 57 touchdown passes are the fourth most already and just four fewer than second place Tommy Rees, who shared birthday wishes for Notre Dame’s current QB1 earlier today.

To top that off Book has 1032 career rushing yards which ranks 15th most in school history and could finish in the top-ten if his 2020 numbers are anywhere near what he did in 2019.  His eight rushing touchdowns are also tied for 24th in school history and are the same amount Armando Allen ran for in his four seasons.

Book will go down as a great on the stat sheet but barring something unforeseen in 2020, I’m not going to remember him for numbers.  When I think of Ian Book it’s not the game-winning touchdown he scored against Virginia Tech I remember first, it’s instead his 2018 performance against a stingy Northwestern team while playing with a rib injury that would keep him out the following week.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LKS8RIGi5Y&w=560&h=315]

The guy competed and stuck final thorn in the paw of the Northwestern Wildcats to stay unbeaten, all while playing through a bunch of pain.  If that doesn’t say enough about a guy for yo u

So happy birthday, Ian.  Now go enjoy a burrito or two!