May 26, 2026, 4:18 PM CUT

Notre Dame National Champion QB Passes Away at 78

Bob Belden, campaign chairman for ArtsinStark, speaks during a campaign victory luncheon outside the Cultural Center for the Arts in Canton on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.

A national champion at the University of Notre Dame, a Super Bowl-winning cowboy, and a proud son of Canton, Bob Belden has passed away at the age of 78 on May 5, 2026.

According to Bob Belden’s official obituary published by Gordon Funeral Homes, he was remembered as “a patient, steady, generous, and tremendously loving husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother.”

The obituary made it clear that the people closest to Belden remembered him as much more than a football figure, highlighting how his sharp mind, humor, and constant support left a lasting impact on family and friends alike.

The University of Notre Dame logo at Irish Athletic Center on Friday, March 20, 2026, in South Bend.

Belden was a backup quarterback on Notre Dame’s 1966 national championship team under legendary head coach Ara Parseghian, behind future legend Joe Theismann.

He finished his college career completing eight of 14 passes for 137 yards and rushing for 163 yards on 44 carries, numbers that still earned him a 12th-round selection by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1969 NFL Draft.

Belden spent two seasons as a backup to Roger Staubach in Dallas. The Cowboys went 11-2-1 in 1969 and made it to Super Bowl V in 1970, losing 16-13 to the Baltimore Colts.

He received a BS in Mathematics and an MBA. He worked at 3M, traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and eventually headed The Belden Brick Company as Chairman Emeritus before retiring in 2025.

Belden’s career began in Canton, Ohio, where he attended Central Catholic High School alongside future Hall of Famer Alan Page.

QB Bob Belden From Canton Catholic to The Cowboys

As a junior, Bob was made the starting quarterback, and as a senior, he received All-Ohio honors before being awarded a scholarship to Notre Dame.

His college career never equaled those early honors. Belden would complete only 8-of-14 passes during his college career, not enough to earn a varsity letter.

He competed behind Terry Hanratty and Joe Theismann and was hampered by back-to-back MCL tears in 1967 and 1968. After Jerry Rhome was traded and Don Meredith retired, the Cowboys still took him in the 12th round of the 1969 NFL Draft.

Belden made the active roster for the season opener but spent the rest of 1969 and 1970 on the taxi squad. He was waived in September, 1970.

After football, Belden started at the Chicago Board Options Exchange and then moved back to Ohio, where he joined the family firm.

Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Rudra Dubey