Kinnick a Dying Legend

Nile Kinnick, Heisman award-winning halfback for Iowa during the 1939 season, is an Iowa legend, with his stadium and a fanbase that respects and remembers Nile’s name. Or do they? With a new age of athletes coming into the fray, many players don’t quite know who this Hawkeye legend is.

When asked about who Nile Kinnick was, Max Bartchek, a kicker for the varsity football team, replied “He coached for Iowa.” Bartchek explained his rationale by saying he has a “stadium named after him.” Many things about Nile, Max seemed to miss. From his age at death to the year he won the Heisman, to even where he was born. “So many people know his name but not what he did,” said Bartchek when asked about why I asked about Nile Kinnick. “It was so long ago, it is not something most people go out of their way to learn about.”

However, there lies a variety of different backgrounds for knowledge on Nile Kinnick. Take Nile Eddy’s word, a running back for the varsity team, who is named after the Iowa legend. When I asked many of the questions I asked Max, he seemed to be more educated on the subject. “ I was named after him,” Nile, a junior, stated. “and my parents told me a little bit about him.” Eddy believes that I spoke about Nile Kinnick because “It must be his birthday or an important day coming up for him.” Eddy stated. However, Nile stated “I think he’s a stand-up guy and I think he did a lot for his country and he put his life out there and he was a respectful guy. It wouldn’t hurt everybody to learn a little bit about him.”

This brought me to Sunny Salkic, a defensive lineman for the varsity team. Sunny, a sophomore, stated, “I believe he inspired me and I believe he could inspire others as well.” Throughout the interview I had with Sunny, he seemed to have similar results when it came to Nile’s history. When asked about why we should reflect on older athletes, Salkic replied “To inspire us to be better.” He also stated we should remember “the impact they put on the game and the standard they set.”

All this talk about a legend brought up the argument of why we remember these former greats of the gridiron. Max believes it may be due to “what they’ve accomplished and what they’ve done.” He also believes that you should “excel in what you do.” On the other hand, Bartchek recalls how “there have been instances where football players have made mistakes in their life, but they have to learn from their mistakes.”

Although many athletes in Waukee, and around the world may not remember who Nile Kinnick is, they still remember the impact he had on the game. We must remember these dying legends of the game to preserve their legacy as all-time greats.