First, I wanted to get his thoughts on the death earlier this week of Leon Hart, who won the 1949 Heisman Trophy as a Notre Dame player.

I also wanted Lujack, the Heisman winner in 1947, to talk about himself.

Oh, I know Lujack, who is retired from the auto business, is called John Lujack more often than Johnny Lujack these days. But Johnny Lujack is how I recall him when I’d listen to Notre Dame football games – as well as Iowa games, Iowa State games and Army and Navy games -- on the radio as a kid in the 1940s.

Don’t forget, there was no football on TV then. Where I lived, there was no TV.

Lujack, 77, a native of Connellsville, Pa., lives in Bettendorf now and spends his winters in California. He was the quarterback on Notre Dame teams that won national championships in 1943, 1946 and 1947.

Lujack knew Hart well. He certainly knew him a lot better than the people who work at a daily paper that few Iowans are depending on these days know him. The news of Hart’s death apparently hasn’t yet reached the paper’s newsroom because nothing has been printed about it yet.

That gave the gang at our weekly lunch a lot to talk about this week. Indeed, Ol’ Buck was about ready to choke on his egg roll.

Oh, well. Maybe they can combine the story of Hart’s death with the news that George "Sonny" Franck of Davenport has been named to the College Football Hall of Fame. That happened in May, but hasn’t been in the paper yet, either.

The thing that makes that really strange is that Franck was elected to the paper’s own Sports Hall of Fame several years ago.

"He was only the second lineman ever to win the Heisman,’’ said Lujack. "The first was Larry Kelley of Yale in 1936.’’

Lujack said he last saw Hart about three months ago in South Bend, Ind.

"Evidently, he attended the Notre Dame-Michigan game this fall and was in the press box,’’ Lujack said. "I heard that he got sick and was taken to a hospital. They did some sort of operation, but then he had a heart attack and died."

The funeral will be Saturday in Birmingham, Mich. Hart will be buried on the Notre Dame campus.

Lujack said Hart "was as good a player as you’d ever want to see. I remember when he was a freshman at Notre Dame in 1946. He was either 17 or 18 years old but weighed 250 or 260 pounds. He really made a big impression on all of us.’’

Lujack recalls one particular incident in practice.

"Hart made a vicious block on someone,’’ Lujack explained. "Coach Frank Leahy called him over called him over and said, ‘Oh, Leon, I know that might be your roommate or best friend. But when you let up on a block like that, you could carry those bad habits into a game.’

"Actually,’’ Lujack added, "it was a murderous block. Hart just about killed that guy. We all knew he was going to be a great player. He had size, good hands and he was smart.’’

Lujack was considered one of the greatest T-formation collegiate quarterbacks of all time. While filling in for Angelo Bertelli, who went into the Marines in 1943, he quarterbacked a 26-0 victory over previously-unbeaten Army. He went on to gain 2,080 yards in three seasons, completing 144 of 282 passes.

Notre Dame beat Iowa twice in Lujack’s years there—41-6 in 1946 and 21-0 in 1947. However, the teams haven’t played since 1968, and there are no games scheduled between them in the near-future.

Asked if he wished the Fighting Irish played Iowa, Lujack said, "I may wish something, but who cares? Schedules are made far in advance. Obviously, Notre Dame is in great demand as an opponent.

"It would be nice (if they played) because (Iowa City) would be close enough to go to a game. But I have nothing to do with scheduling.’’

After his Notre Dame days, Lujack played for the Chicago Bears for four years, and was Notre Dame’s backfield coach under Leahy in 1952 and 1953.

In 1954, Lujack became a car dealer. He retired 12 years ago as owner of Lujack Auto Plaza in Davenport.

"I sold the business to my son-in-law,’’ he said. "But it’s still called Lujack Auto Plaza.’’

"I was at the Friday practice before the Michigan game,’’ Lujack said. "I had a chance to visit with Willingham, and I was very impressed with him. I’m glad he’s at Notre Dame.

"With his west coast offense and the way he conducts himself, he’s going to be able to attract some top recruits in the future. They’ll be players who wouldn’t have wanted to go to Notre Dame in the past.

"They’ll be able to see that Notre Dame is going to have a more wide-open offense, and I think some of those top guys will be coming to the campus.’’

A curious reader hears the words "Game Face’’ often and wants to know what they mean.

"What does a ‘game face’ look like,’’ the reader wonders. "I know it’s used, but want to know....is it mean? Poker? Sad?’’

My answer: Not mean. Not sad. Maybe poker. Always determined.

Let’s put it this way, Iowa State and Iowa had better be wearing their game faces in Saturday’s football games or there are going to be plenty of sad faces among their fans.

That’s a guarantee from this columnist with the poker face.