Layden, Elmer F.
Football
b. May 4, 1903, Davenport, IA
d. June 30, 1973
Known later in life as the "Thin Man," the 5-foot-11 Layden played fullback in Notre Dame's Four Horsemen backfield, though he weighed only 162 pounds. In Knute Rockne's style of offense, speed was much more important than power, and Layden was noted not only for speed but for his very quick start.
He was a substitute halfback early in the 1922 season, but moved to fullback after the regular broke a leg and stayed there for the next two seasons. Layden starred in Notre Dame's 27-10 victory over Stanford in the 1925 Rose Bowl. He ran back two interceptions for touchdowns of 70 and 80 yards and scored another on a 7-yard run. When his 55-yard punt was fumbled by a Stanford player, Notre Dame recovered the ball for its fourth touchdown of the day.
In 1925, became football coach at Columbia (now Loras) College in Dubuque, Iowa. His teams won 8, lost 5, and tied 2 in 2 seasons. He went to Duquesne in 1927. The small Pittsburgh school had only eleven numbered football jerseys and a difficult schedule, yet Layden had a 48-16-6 record in 7 seasons and his 1933 team beat Miami 33-7 in the Festival of Palms post-season game, the forerunner of the Orange Bowl.
Layden returned to Notre as football coach and athletic director in 1934. He remained there for seven seasons, winning 47 games while losing 13 and tying 3, first on a two-year contract, then a five-year contract. When he was offered a contract for only one year after the 1940 season, Layden refused.
Shortly afterward, he signed a five-year contract for $20,000 a year to serve as commissioner of the NFL. He left that position when the contract expired and became a sales executive.
Layden's overall coaching record in 16 seasons was 103 wins, 34 losses, and 11 ties, a percentage of .733.