Jack Trice, Iowa State’s first black athlete, was also the first athlete to die for Iowa State. On the night of his first football game, October 5, 1923, Jack wrote in a letter on some hotel stationery, “My thoughts just before the first real college game of my life: The honor of my race, family & self is at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will. My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped, I will be trying to do more than my part. On all defensive plays I must break thru the opponents' line and stop the play in their territory. Beware of mass interference. Fight low, with your eyes open and toward the play. Watch out for crossbucks and reverse end runs. Be on your toes every minute if you expect to make good.”
During the first half of the game he had so anticipated, Trice suffered a broken collarbone. He continued to play during the third quarter, until he was thrown on his back and trampled by three Minnesota players. He died three days later. Four thousand students and faculty members attended his funeral service on central campus.
Re-venge (I'm not saying do the same thing back, but let's win THIS one for Jack Trice.) Hope he will be looking down smiling at us in Tempe on Dec. 31 RIP.
"Four thousand students and faculty members attended his funeral service on central campus".
This is an amazing legacy for Iowa State. Imagine four thousand white kids showing up at a memorial for a black man in 1923. Iowa State didn't renew the Minnesota contract after this game and it would be 65-years later that we played again. I'm proud we recognize Jack Trice with the statute and we should never, ever change the name of our stadium.
If you want to get into this story even more, read the letter from his mother.
"We are first and foremost an educational institution that values integrity, honesty and treating others with fairness and respect".
Thanks Jeremy, this was the first thing I thought of when I heard the match-up.
Do you think in today's society, they'd serve up manslaughter charges?
Or worse. Think of the kind of trampling he had to under to obtain injuries that could kill him. Especially in those days when players didn't weigh more than 250.
They also didn't have the pads back then though. I would imagine somebody would die every weekend today if it weren't for the pads and different protection devices they have.
A program isn't built on one player and it doesn't succeed because of one player, thus a program won't fail if it doesn't get that one player.
There is a really great book in the ISU library, probably elsewhere too, with great detail on Jack's life and the events of his death.
Just to point out-
Despite the racial motivations of the time, one of Jack's best friends and teammates was quoted saying it was just a freak play that resulted in the trampling and death and that it didn't appear intentional to him.
More specifically, there were 3 oline blockers forming a wall and, as common practice at the time, Trice barrell rolled to "bust the wedge". From there unfortunately, I can imagine how the trampling would occur.
I agree though, good opportunity to display the story prior to the game. We'll see if the NFL network reporters do their homework.
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Originally Posted by cychhosis 
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