Ex-Notre Dame, Bears WR Jim Seymour dies at 64

In the first game of his varsity career at Notre Dame, Jim Seymour amassed an eye-popping 276 yards receiving against Purdue in late September 1966. No Irish player ever had recorded more, nor has since.

The former Irish All-American and Bears receiver died Tuesday night at Highland Park Hospital at 64 after a battle with cancer, according to Notre Dame. His mark on the program and its record book is indelible, in a literal sense, at least to date.

Moreover only five players ever caught more passes for the Irish than Seymour’s 138, and only three of them had three-year careers like he did. As for that single-game mark of 276 yards receiving, ex-Irish wideout Golden Tate came the closest to matching it in 2009 — and Tate’s 244-yard effort was more than 30 yards shy of the record.

Seymour was a first-team All-American for Notre Dame in 1967 and 1968 and shared a Time magazine cover with Irish quarterback Terry Hanratty — the duo known as “Mr. Fling and Mr. Cling” — for the Oct. 28, 1966, issue during a national championship season.

Hanratty visited Seymour a couple of weeks ago and said his friend was alert enough to laugh and reminisce for five hours.

“We were tied at the hip for so many years,” Hanratty said. “The first thing that comes to mind is he and I walking out into that old fieldhouse. He and I would go in there, flip on the lights and throw the football around. To throw the ball 40 yards and beyond, you had to put it between a couple of rafters to get it in.

“We were close to the end. I gave him a big hug when I left. That was tough.”

The Rams made Seymour the 10th pick overall in the 1969 NFL draft and he then played three seasons for the Bears (1970 through 1972), totaling 21 catches and five touchdowns in his career.

Seymour had been in the insurance business and lived in Deerfield. Visitation is noon-7 p.m. Sunday at Kelley & Spalding Funeral Home in Highland Park. Funeral services are at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Deerfield.