nile kinnick wrote in 1943
AP reporter Whitney Martin wrote, "You realized the ovation (after his Heisman speech) wasn't alone for Nile Kinnick, the outstanding college football player of the year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in the Hall's inaugural year in 1951, one of only two Hawkeye players so honored (Duke Slater was the other). Kinnick, the lone bright spot of the 1937 season, led the nation in punting and was named first team All-Big Ten and a third team All-American. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. The football part is incidental." Kinnick grew to be 5-8 and 170 pounds and, after failing a football tryout with Minnesota, he went to Iowa. Everything that can be said that is good about college athletics he was. There are several inconsistencies with this story. It was noted that all four touchdowns by the All-Star team came while Kinnick was in the game and they managed only one first down when he was on the sidelines.The grandson of a former Iowa Governor George W. Clarke, Kinnick was reportedly interested in politics. Nile was reportedly constantly thinking about self-improvement and working on turning personal weaknesses into strengths. Iowa lost all five Big Ten Conference games in 1937. Kinnick was one of just five football players inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in the Hall's inaugural year in 1951, joining Duke Slater, Aubrey Devine, Jay Berwanger, and Elmer Layden. Kinnick left law school after one year and enlisted in the Naval Air Reserve. Kinnick began showing athletic aptitude at a young age as well. Kinnick had always been an excellent student as well as an athletic leader, and he could have graduated in 1935, but his parents held him back a year to become thoroughly prepared for the university. Then they turned to Kinnick and said, 'Can you take it, Nile?' The officials conferred to discuss if Kinnick had scored, and Kinnick approached the officials to inform them that he had been, in fact, stopped short of the goal, and Michigan went on to win the game.[16].
Nile Kinnick correspondence, March-October 1943, Kinnick, Nile C. (Nile Clarke), 1918-1943, Letters to and from Kinnick, a student leader, scholar, athlete, and naval officer from Iowa. A member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at Iowa, Kinnick also maintained a 3.4 GPA. As a youth, he played on a Junior Legion baseball team with the future major leaguer Bob Feller.[3]. In 2006, Iowa finished renovations on Kinnick Stadium. In fact, the Christian Science religion does not prohibit medical help, and leaves the choice whether to seek medical attention up to the individual. He considered the University of Minnesota how seriously is not clear but he chose the University of Iowa. He finished his career with 1,674 yards rushing, 18 interceptions (an Iowa record that lasted half a century) and an average of 39.9 yards per punt. He died during a training flight while serving as a United States Navy aviator in World War II. The University of Iowa retired his number (No. '"[17] This story regarding Kinnick's statement about broken ribs and with Kinnick, not Couppee, coming up with the idea for the switch to right halfback is particularly enduring. The Packers defeated the College All-Stars, 4528. The Hawkeyes' first home game that year was with Oregon State, and a pre-game ceremony on September 23 made it official: Iowa Stadium became known as Kinnick Stadium. Comforted in the knowledge that your thought and prayer go with us every minute, and sure that your faith and courage will never falter, no matter the outcome, I bid you au revoir."[23]. Kinnick threw for 638 yards and 11 touchdowns on only 31 passes and ran for 374 yards. He also made eight interceptions. I've got a separated shoulder.' Kinnick grew to be 5-8 and 170 pounds and, after failing a football tryout with Minnesota, he went to Iowa. Kinnick was elected student body president his senior year at Iowa. [27] Such strong opposition from Kinnick's teammates, relatives, and fans scuttled Tosaw's plans. Rescue boats arrived on the scene a mere eight minutes later, but they found only an oil slick. Kinnick had been flying for over an hour when his Grumman F4F Wildcat developed an oil leak so serious that he could neither reach land nor the Lexington, whose flight deck was in any case crowded with planes preparing for launch. Contact the Special Collections Department at the University of Iowa Libraries: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/contact, Bill Reiter letter to Nile Kinnick, Sr., June 12, 1943, Envelope addressed to Mrs. Sidney Green, October 11, 1943, Frances Kinnick letter to Mrs. Sidney Green, October 9, 1943, Nile Kinnick envelope addressed to Ken Pettit, March 16, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to Bob Hobbs, April 24, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to Bob, March 6, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to friend, May 31, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his brother, George, March 4, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his father, April 1, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his father, April 15, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his father, March 3, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, April 14, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, April 24, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, March 13, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, March 19, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, March 21, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, March 23, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, March 27, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, March 8, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, May 22, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, May 3, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, Monday, April 5, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his parents, Wednesday, April 5, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to his uncle, Charles Clarke, March 1, 1943, Nile Kinnick letter to Ken, March 15, 1943, Nile Kinnick reflections on his parents, 1943, Nile Kinnick Sr. letter to Nile Kinnick, April 11, 1943, Nile Kinnick Sr. letter to Nile Kinnick, April 8, 1943, Nile Kinnick Sr. letter to Nile Kinnick, March 16, 1943, Nile Kinnick, Sr. letter to Paul Buie, June 18, 1943, Nile Kinnick "State Finals" poem, March 21, 1943, Nile Kinnick's last letter to his parents, May 30, 1943, Paul Buie letter to Mr. and Mrs. Kinnick on the loss of their son, June 6, 1943, Paul Buie letter to Nile Kinnick, Sr., June 27, 1943. One author wrote, "When it was time for college, there was no doubt that Nile would go to Iowa."[15]. He also made eight interceptions. Coach Anderson liked Kinnick immediately. At the end of the season, Nile Kinnick won virtually every major award in the country. Nor does Kinnick ever mention the tryout during any of his journal entries or letters when he discusses one of his many games with Iowa against Minnesota. His story is refuted by almost everyone on the 1939 Iowa team. He earned All-Big Ten and third team All-American honors in football. He also played baseball and basketball his freshman year. In 1938, he hurt his ankle in preseason football practice and was not at full strength for his entire junior year. Born in Adel, Iowa, Kinnick was the grandson of a governor and a star athlete in football and basketball at Adel High for three years before the family moved to Omaha, Neb., after his junior year. While Kinnick took a year of law school in 1940, he also served as an assistant football coach for the Hawkeyes, aiding the freshman team and scouting upcoming opponents. Kinnick, himself the grandson of a Governor, spoke before the Young Republicans and introduced 1940 presidential candidate Wendell Willkie at a campaign rally. After a brief stint in baseball that summer, Nile dropped the third sport. But opponents raved about Kinnick. He gave the commencement speech for the University of Iowa's graduating class in 1940.
In June 1943, he crash-landed his fighter in the sea and was killed in action. In a letter to Kinnick's parents, Kinnick's lieutenant commander, Paul Buie, wrote, "Having lost all oil the engine, without lubrication, failed, forcing Nile to land in the water. [35], Kinnick Stadium is the only college football stadium named for a Heisman Trophy winner. He was a member of the initial class of inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. His father addresses him as "SB" for "Sonny Boy. Reiter died three months later. Educational use only, no other permissions given. Nile was a first-team all-state selection in both football and basketball as a senior, as he started for one year with his brother Ben at the Benson High School in Omaha. Most contemporaries say that because of Christian Science religion he would not allow himself to be examined by a doctor. Minnesota was one of the dominant college football programs in the nation, while Iowa was a struggling program. Many of Anderson's players played complete games during that season for the Hawkeyes. Later, he added, "Every man whom I've admired in history has willingly and courageously served in his country's armed forces in times of danger. "The task which lies ahead is adventure as well as duty," Nile wrote in his final letter to his parents before deploying with the USSLexington in late May 1943, "and I am anxious to get at it. He also made 11-of-17 dropkick conversion attempts and scored 41 points. Iowa sportscaster Tait Cummins said, "Kinnick proved one thing, that college athletics could be beautiful. On November 28, 1939, Nile Kinnick won the Heisman Trophy, becoming to date the only Iowa Hawkeye to win college football's most prestigious award. [13] Some even suggest that Minnesota's legendary coach, Bernie Bierman, stated himself that Kinnick was "too small and too slow" to play for Minnesota. The "heartbreaking" loss was a 76 defeat at the hands of Michigan, despite Kinnick's 74-yard punt return for a touchdown. As a sophomore, Kinnick was terrific, but the Hawkeyes just could not win. On June 2, 1943, Kinnick was on a routine training flight from the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) which was off the coast of Venezuela in the Gulf of Paria. The Marion Sentinel proposed in an article to endorse a presidential run for Kinnick in 1956, the first year in which he would be eligible. In his acceptance speech at the Heisman Dinner, Kinnick reflected the prevailing isolationist mood of the country, saying that he thanked God he had been born in America, where they have football fields instead of in Europe where they have battlefields. And he added that he knew, the football players of this country had rather battle for such medals as the Heisman Trophy than for such medals as the Croix de Guerre and the Iron Cross.. Kinnick was named the co-captain of the freshman team. He won the Big Ten MVP award by the largest margin in history. May God give me the courage and ability to so conduct myself in every situation that my country, my family, and my friends will be proud of me."[22]. He was the first college football player to win that award. I feel better in mind and body than I have for ten years and am quite certain I can meet the foe confident and unafraid. By passing, running or kicking, Kinnick was directly involved in 107 of Iowas 130 points that season. ", Fighter pilotsMilitary officersMilitary training, Kinnick, Nile C. (Nile Clarke), 1918-1943Kinnick family, Papers of Nile C. Kinnick, 1935-1991Nile Kinnick Collection, http://aspace.lib.uiowa.edu/repositories/2/resources/112, University of Iowa. His body was never recovered.Since his death, Kinnick has received many honors and memorials. But the possibility, however remote, that Kinnick's body is still with the plane led to overwhelming opposition to Tosaw's efforts. This correspondence is chiefly letters from Nile Kinnick to his parents during his military training at Quonset Point Naval Air Station (R.I.). Three points are awarded for first place on a ballot, with two points for second place and one point for third place. "They originally called right halfback Buzz Dean's play in the huddle. Iowa defeated Notre Dame in 1939, 76, in a game that many consider to be Kinnick's signature performance. Tales From The Iowa Sidelines, by Ron Maly, p. 103 (, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders, "Nile Kinnick speech at Heisman Trophy award ceremony", Yokohama American Nile C. Kinnick High School Alumni Homepage, University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame profile, Faceted Application of Subject Terminology, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nile_Kinnick&oldid=1098233815, United States Navy personnel killed in World War II, Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents, Players of American football from Nebraska, United States Navy pilots of World War II, Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1943, Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Venezuela, Articles with dead external links from August 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 July 2022, at 21:51.
