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All of Europe could be found in Chicago's ethnic neighborhoods. When Rockne's family moved to the Logan Square district, young Knute would find himself in a polyglot situation, with the usual animosities and dislikes between groups with differing national origins. With four sisters at home (Anna, Martha, Louise, and Florence) and no brothers, Knute seems to have invested himself heavily in a variety of youthful adventures with a distinctly adolescent male flavor to them. A natural thing to do would be to engage his peers in sports.

While working for the Post Office, he kept in good shape by running in track meets for various clubs, such as the Irving Park Athletic Club, the Central YMCA, and, ultimately, the prestigious Illinois Athletic Club. At these competitions, he specialized in the half-mile and the pole vault. He filled out to his adult size of 5´ 8´´ and 165 pounds . . an average build to those who looked without paying much attention, but well-honed for athletic competition, and he was blessed with an impassioned desire to win.

Harper inherited a mature, talented Notre Dame team, led by Captain Rockne. He took the shift a step closer to the perfection that Rockne would reach, and he added a sophisticated passing game. Rockne's first game in his senior year was an 87-0 pasting of Ohio Northern; there was no need to showcase the aerial offense. South Dakota was another matterthey took an early lead, but Eichenlaub hammered in a score, Dorais hit two field goals, then added a 40-yard TD pass to take the covers off a fine-tuned, well-integrated running and passing game that kept the South Dakota The undefeated 1913 Fighting Irish, Knute Rockne, Captain.