Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 98 days away
To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.
This daily by the numbers series of 99 stories celebrates some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.
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Today, we feature No. 98 with a look at the fascinating football and law careers of former Irish placekicker Robert Thomas, who wore the jersey number as a three-year starter for the Irish from 1971-73.
After leaving Notre Dame, Thomas became a 12-year NFL veteran from 1975-86 and eventually the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court from 2005-08. And today, even at age 69 and now 49 years removed from his heroics on the Notre Dame gridiron, Thomas still has to pinch himself to make certain his amazing life journey isn’t just a dream.
Thomas became legendary at Notre Dame in the 1973 Sugar Bowl when his 19-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter against Alabama secured the Irish a 24-23 win and a second national championship for head coach Ara Parseghian.
A gifted and committed student, Thomas after graduation became a member of the Academic All-American Hall of Fame while at the same time he put his name on many of the career record lists among all other Fighting Irish kickers.
Post Notre Dame, Thomas was a 15th-round NFL Draft pick in 1974 and spent 10 of his 12 NFL seasons as a standout kicker for the Chicago Bears. Thomas remains the fourth all-time scorer in their franchise history.
The greatest highlight for Thomas with the Bears — where he wore No. 16 — came in New York circa 1977 when he drilled a 28-yard field goal on a slushy field in a 12-9 overtime win over the Giants that sent Chicago to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
“I was able to put it through the middle,” Thomas said in reflection. “Then, it was just basically pandemonium.”
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Beyond football
Thomas, a graduate of Notre Dame and the Loyola University School of Law, retired from football in 1986 and turned his undivided attention to a legal career. For several years, Thomas actually juggled his duties as both an NFL kicker and a practicing attorney.
Two years after his football retirement, Thomas became a circuit court judge in 1988, then an Illinois Supreme Court Justice in 2000 where he served as the high court’s Chief Justice from 2005-08.
“When I thought about being a judge, someone asked me how I would handle lawyers in the courtroom,” Thomas shared in a story for UND.com. “Being booed by eighty-thousand people as a player, I replied that I didn’t know why anyone should worry.”
Thomas, married and the father of three children, retired as a judge in 2020 and now works as a private attorney in Chicago.
And while fewer than 10 Irish players have ever donned a No. 98 jersey, Thomas became a legend in his.
