Notre Dame football: 5 most underrated players in Fighting Irish history

1. Underrated Notre Dame football players: Allen Rossum

When defensive back Allen Rossum was being recruited out of high school, it was a shock that he went to Notre Dame. He was recruited by every school in the southwest and somehow got to South Bend, Indiana.

Rossum played during the same era as Kory Minor and Autry Denson. That Lou Holtz to Bob Davie era of Notre Dame football had some great players that did not always produce great results on the field. Rossum, however, was a standout player on those defenses.

Rossum was one of the few defenders who was dynamic with the ball in his hands. During his college career, he had 151 career interception return yards and three touchdowns. Rossum left Notre Dame with an NCAA record nine career return touchdowns.

Rossum proved his versatility for the Irish as both a kick and punt returner. In 1996 he led the nation in punt return average at 22.9 yards per return. He also averaged 30.7 yards per kick return during his time in South Bend.

Not only was Rossum a standout in football during his time at Notre Dame, but he also was an outstanding track and field athlete. The Texas native was a two-time All-American in the 55-meter dash while at Notre Dame.

Rossum also had some noteworthy accomplishments in the pros as well. He’s a member of the 15,000 all-purpose yards club. He also holds two franchise records for the Atlanta Falcons as their all-time leader in both punt and kickoff return yards.

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