Arizona Tile Founder John Huarte Gives Back to Notre Dame

If you’ve heard of Arizona Tile’s founder, John Huarte, you probably know of his long-lasting ties with the University of Notre Dame, where he helped revive the Fighting Irish football team as its star quarterback in 1964.

In fact, he won the Heisman Trophy as a result of his devotion in bringing Notre Dame to an impressive 9-1 season. Guided by first-year coach Ara Parseghian, John helped revitalize the team in spite of a shoulder injury that could have cost him his football career. Since then, John has earned a multitude of sports awards, played on several professional football teams, started a family with his wife Eileen and, of course, founded Arizona Tile.

More than 54 years since his Heisman win, the Notre Dame alumni found an opportunity to give back to the university and team he loves most. In November 2018, John and Eileen Huarte were able to donate a generous $1 million to the University of Notre Dame. Their donation will be used to establish an endowment for grants to aid future student athletes, who will continue to honor the team’s ongoing legacy as one of the most iconic names in college football.