It was sheer joy for every Notre Dame fan Saturday when the Fighting Irish trounced Army 49-14. But for the Shrewsbury clan of fans, just being there to see their beloved Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium would have been enough regardless.
Ed Jones, the grandson of Elmer Layden, one of the Four Horsemen made famous in 1924 at another win over Army, and other descendants of the team player and later head coach and athletic director at his alma mater, was present in Yankee Stadium, along with the rest of the Layden family gang, Jo-an Canning, Patricia Mullin, Mike Jones, Meghan Vaccarelli, Greg Jones, Chris Canning, Matt Canning and Pete, Ryan and Conner Mullin. He admitted to being nervous, as he says he is watching every game. “You never know how 18-22 year olds will react on a given day,” he said.
Jones said of course he’s always happy with a win and while he does not have a favorite player, he admits he does look over the Fighting Irish from New Jersey, especially Kevin Bauman. Out due to an injury for most of his senior year at Notre Dame, Bauman is back this season as a graduate student and got his first career TD reception at Purdue early in the season. He began his football career under Coach Frank Edgerly at Red Bank Catholic.
Jones also is high on praise for Colts Neck native Al Golden, now defense coordinator for Notre Dame who also began his football legacy at Red Bank Catholic where he coached in 1993. Jones noted the RBC connections are special with all his family, since he and his siblings all graduated from there as well.
If Jones has any favorite teams other than Notre Dame, it’s Army and Navy, and he concedes he does cheer for each of them in almost every other game except Notre Dame. He declined to say, however, which of the military academy teams he favors when they are pitted against each other.
Still, Jones asserts, “Notre Dame is bigger stronger and faster. ND defense is one of the best in the USA.”
This year’s win was truly a big win, he said, “ but the 1924 win was epic. That game put Notre Dame on the football world map. The Four Horsemen might be the most famous backfield in history!
As great as Notre Dame is, as powerful as its football teams are, as much history and fond memories are connected with all of it, it’s the lessons Ed Jones of Shrewsbury learned from that famous grandfather that stand out to him the most.
The oldest of Elmer’s grandchildren, the son of his grandfather’s oldest child, Ed noted his siblings Jo-an Canning, Patricia Mullin and Michael Jones grew up in a Notre Dame household. Saturdays, they listened to Notre Dame games on the radio, and Sundays watched the game on television. Their parents would go to Notre Dame football games when the team was playing in the Northeast and by the 1990’s they would go to South Bend for a game every year, always taking one of their children along. Daughter Meghan graduated from Notre Dame in 1993, and Jones said that he and family and friends would go out every year she was in college for a game. That practice continued after his parents passed away, and Jones said he and his siblings continued to attend a Notre Dame game every year.
Last year was another highlight he said. “I went to Ireland for the ND-Navy game with my children. And this year’s game was special since all the family was in attendance at Saturday’s game. “
There are other happy memories associated with Notre Dame, but they all take second place to his daughter’s graduation in 1993. There was a basketball game Jones attended at Notre Dame in 1974. when ND ended UCLA’s 88 game win streak. And the 1975 Orange Bowl when ND beat Alabama in what was Coach Ara Parseghian’s last game. There was Jones’ first at Notre Dame, when his grandfather was honored on the 75th Anniversary game honoring the Four Horsemen at ND., another game that most of the Jones and Layden’s were present to see. Many more memories.
But most of all, Jones remembers the first lesson he learned from his grandfather is “go quietly.” That was his grandfather’s favorite saying. “Gramps was a class individual. He was not flashy,” a proud grandson recalls before highlighting some other memories. “Elmer Layden was hired to be the NFL Commissioner in 1941. He led the NFL during WWII. He saved the NFL during the war years. When the War ended, he had problems with some of the owners and he was not rehired in 1946. Instead of making an issue with the owners Elmer went quietly. He never wanted to be the “star” in the room.”
It’s because of all this, because of how wise he has always felt his grandfather was, because of the close knit family and how they have all learned from their ancestors, that Ed Jones said quietly, “I try to always “go quietly.”
“Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again.”
