Fearless, did you watch the documentary on Nile Kinnick on IPTV, tonight? I was impressed how he immersed himself as a boy into football and basketball. His dad played for Iowa State. He grew up mostly in Adel. The family moved from Adel to Nebraska his senior year in high school. He was 1st team all-state his junior year in football and basketball in Iowa. He was 1st team all-state in Nebraska in both sports his senior year.
His 1st cousin who his over 90 told many stories about the family. As a kid Nile learned a lot about football from his dad. Kicking was one area he learned. Nile, who was right-handed, learned to throw left-handed, too. That way when he rolled out left on a passing play he could throw with this left arm.
I knew he was a great punter. I didn't know he punted 16 times in the 1939 Notre Dame game. Hawkeye history has gone full circle. Kinnick's last punt of the Notre Dame game was a 67-yard punt to pin Notre Dame deep for its final series in a 7-6 Iowa win. Kinnick successfully made a drop kick extra point after his famous score from the 2-yard line against Notre Dame. When Notre Dame scored a TD their kicker missed the extra point from a place kick.
I knew Kinnick was a drop kicker. I did not know drop kicking by 1939 was obsolete. I am reading hx on football shapes, and by 1935 the football we know today was introduced, and there have been no remarkable substantive changes. By 1935 the drop kick became obsolete.
