Jurkovic, Irish two-way star, dies at 42

Published Jan. 9, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

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Mirko Jurkovic, a former University of Notre Dame football standout who was part of the 1988 national championship team and later a consensus All-American offensive guard, died of cancer Wednesday evening in Indiana, according to the university's athletic department. He was 42.

Jurkovic, a 6-foot-4, 289-pounder from Calumet City, Ill., played defensive tackle on the '88 team and offensive guard in 1990 and 1991. He played on teams that won the Fiesta Bowl, beating West Virginia after the 1988 season; the Orange Bowl, besting Colorado after the '89 season; and the Sugar Bowl, defeating Florida to cap the 1991 season.

The McGann Hay funeral home in Granger confirmed Jurkovic's death late Wednesday and said a funeral will be held Saturday.

Jurkovic is survived by his wife and three children.