Iowa Football Has Your "Iron Man" Right Here
by RossWB on May 7, 2010 4:30 PM CDT
in Iowa Hawkeyes Football
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MS Paint rulz.
As you may have heard, there's a quaint little art film called "Iron Man 2" opening in a handful of movie theaters today. The rest of you heathens can have your hard-drinking, womanizing, arrogant-as-hell billionaire playboy in Cyclone colors*. At Iowa we know a thing or two about "Ironmen," sirs, and Tony Stark is no Nile Kinnick.
So, in honor of this "Iron Man" fellow, why not take a moment to remember Iowa's own "Ironman." Or just watch the video:
* Okay, yes, aside from the ISU colors, he's basically the ideal superhero for BHGP. You'll pry our shameless homerism out of our cold, dead hands, dammit.
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When I was 17 and found I had been accepted to Iowa
I had the tremendous honor of being invited over to the house of our good family friend, Erwin (Irv) Prasse. For several hours that afternoon, he and I poured through albums worth of press clippings and photos chronicling his exploits with the Ironmen. I do not have words to describe the experience, but needless to say it was the thrill of a lifetime for someone born a Hawkeye.
There are two things in particular that Irv said which stuck in my mind (note that I’m paraphrasing here). The first was in regards to a picture from Iowa’s 1938 season-opening loss to UCLA at the Rose Bowl depicting Jackie Robinson bowling over Prasse en route to a touchdown. Prasse (who was eventually drafted to play baseball by the Cardinals) said something to the effect of, “Looking back, I’ve never been so proud to have been scored on by an individual.” (point of order: Robinson’s Wikepida page has him enrolling at UCLA in ‘39, but he transferred there from Pasadena Junior College in the fall of ’38) The second was in response to a general question I had about Nile Kinnick and if he was really as great as we heard. He spoke for a moment about his football prowess and leadership acumen, but what he spent most of his response on was Kinnick the person. Summarizing Kinnick, Prasse described him as "the greatest person I’ve ever known." Great stuff.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 7, 2010 6:38 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
In the interest of maintaining any credibility
I did some more research into the “Jackie Robinson” pic, because I began to doubt a memory from 13 years ago. The more I looked into it, I think what confused me was this. This was absolutely part of Mr. Prasse’s collection and was likely juxtaposed with a clipping of him being run over a black UCLA player, who was almost certainly Woody Strode. Strode, who was actually nominated for an Academy Award for his role in “Spartacus” (not Bernstein), was one of three black players on the ‘39 Bruins, but the only one who would have been eligible for them in ’38 as freshmen couldn’t play until 1972. In no way did I mean to deceive anyone, I’m just getting old. My apologies.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 8, 2010 1:47 PM CDT up reply actions
It's a damn shame
IMHO, that we have to mention Nile Kinnick in the same breath as OJ Simpson, Tim Tebow, and Matt Leinart as all being Heisman Trophy winners. He truly transcends the biggest award in college football.
by shada's revenge on May 8, 2010 12:48 AM CDT reply actions
I think it's a shame that we have to mention Kinnick in the same breath
as Ryan or TCF…
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 10, 2010 12:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Ummm....
Anyone notice the Wild Cat* play at 1:46?!
*in ’39 i can only assume it was called the whisky smuggler or something that involves women in the kitchen…
That was amazing.
I can watch that once a day for the rest of my life and never tire of it.
…give me the courage and the ability to so conduct myself in every situation that my country, my family, and my friends will be proud of me.
-Nile Kinnick
by Hawkeyewith49Jackrabbits on May 9, 2010 9:55 PM CDT reply actions
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