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Years after Knute Rockne died in plane crash, fans still honor Notre Dame legend at his grave

IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel visits the legendary Knute Rockne's gravesite. Gregg Doyel/IndyStar, Gregg Doyel/IndyStar

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – There are bigger stones here, larger chunks of marble honoring the dead, tombstones that rise majestically above the manicured lawns of Highland Cemetery. The smaller stone is nestled among them, one of three little tombstones in a row.

His memory has been preserved with quiet elegance and dedication, cared for by a man he never met, honored by a legion of fans who never saw him work, who came into this world long after he departed it in a barren field in eastern Kansas.