Erwin Prasse
Encyclopedia
Erwin T. Prasse was a college football
player for the University of Iowa
. He was a second team All-American and the captain of Iowa’s 1939 “Ironmen”
team.
.
record by catching three touchdown passes from Kinnick in a 32-29 victory. His third and final touchdown catch came on fourth down with only minutes remaining in the game. His three touchdown catches remained a Kinnick Stadium record until 2005, when Ed Hinkel caught four touchdowns in a game against Minnesota.
The 1939 Hawkeyes were nicknamed the “Ironmen”, because several players were forced to play all 60 minutes of many games. Prasse was one of those Ironmen; he played all sixty minutes of each of Iowa’s last five games in 1939. The Hawkeyes finished the year with a 6-1-1 record and were ranked ninth in the country. While Prasse’s teammate, Nile Kinnick
, won the Heisman Trophy
, Prasse was named a second team All-American in 1939.
of the National Basketball League
, a forerunner to today’s NBA, winning an NBL championship with them in 1941. He also played minor league baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals
organization.
During World War II
, Prasse became an officer in the United States Army
. He landed on Omaha Beach
on D-Day and was later shot in the arm while on reconnaissance in Germany
. That injury earned him the Purple Heart
from the Army. He then retired from sports and returned to private life after the war.
Prasse was inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame
in its first year in 1989. In 1989, Iowa fans selected an all-time University of Iowa football team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football, and Prasse was an honorable mention selection.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
player for the University of Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. He was a second team All-American and the captain of Iowa’s 1939 “Ironmen”
1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the college football season of 1939. The team, nicknamed the Ironmen, was coached by Dr. Eddie Anderson and was led on the field by halfback Nile Kinnick.-Preseason:...
team.
Background
Prasse graduated from Schurz High School in Chicago, Illinois. He played the end position in football. Iowa struggled in his first two varsity football seasons, compiling a 2-13-1 record in 1937 and 1938. Prasse was an All-Big Ten selection as a junior in 1938, and he was elected captain of the Hawkeye football squad for 1939 over teammate Nile KinnickNile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. was a student and a college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a U.S Navy aviator in World War II...
.
The 1939 season
In Iowa’s Big Ten conference opener in 1939, Prasse set an Iowa StadiumKinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as Iowa Stadium, and known in the area simply as Kinnick, is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, in the sport of college football...
record by catching three touchdown passes from Kinnick in a 32-29 victory. His third and final touchdown catch came on fourth down with only minutes remaining in the game. His three touchdown catches remained a Kinnick Stadium record until 2005, when Ed Hinkel caught four touchdowns in a game against Minnesota.
The 1939 Hawkeyes were nicknamed the “Ironmen”, because several players were forced to play all 60 minutes of many games. Prasse was one of those Ironmen; he played all sixty minutes of each of Iowa’s last five games in 1939. The Hawkeyes finished the year with a 6-1-1 record and were ranked ninth in the country. While Prasse’s teammate, Nile Kinnick
Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. was a student and a college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a U.S Navy aviator in World War II...
, won the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, Prasse was named a second team All-American in 1939.
Honors
Prasse was also a talented basketball and baseball player. He earned nine varsity letters at Iowa, and he played both basketball and baseball professionally. He played three seasons for the Oshkosh All-StarsOshkosh All-Stars
The Oshkosh All-Stars were a professional basketball team based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. From 1937 to 1948 they played in the National Basketball League, a forerunner to the NBA. The team appeared in the NBL finals five consecutive years , winning twice...
of the National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
, a forerunner to today’s NBA, winning an NBL championship with them in 1941. He also played minor league baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
organization.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Prasse became an officer in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He landed on Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
on D-Day and was later shot in the arm while on reconnaissance in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. That injury earned him the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
from the Army. He then retired from sports and returned to private life after the war.
Prasse was inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame
University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame
The University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame is a sports history museum located at the Roy G. Karro Building in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S. The museum pays tribute to the most legendary and influential Iowa Hawkeye sports heroes. Opened in September 2002, The building is located at the northwest...
in its first year in 1989. In 1989, Iowa fans selected an all-time University of Iowa football team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football, and Prasse was an honorable mention selection.