Mike Enich was a college football

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 member 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 and a first team All-American in 1940.

Playing career

"Iron" Mike Enich graduated from Boone High School in 1936. He played fullback in high school, but Coach Eddie Anderson moved him to the tackle position before the 1939 season. The 1939 Hawkeyes were nicknamed the “Ironmen”, because several players were forced to play all 60 minutes of many games. As a junior in 1939, Enich played six complete 60-minute games for the Hawkeyes. He was a third team All-American in 1939, as the Hawkeyes finished the year with a 6-1-1 record and ranked ninth in the country.

As a senior in 1940, Enich was named team captain and MVP of the football team. He earned first team All-American honors that year and played in the East-West Shrine Game

East-West Shrine Game

The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...

 in 1941. Following his graduation, he was accepted in officers' school in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

. For the next five years, he served with distinction in the South Pacific theater. He received severe chest wounds at the Battle of Okinawa

Battle of Okinawa

The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...

 in 1945, for which he was awarded 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...

.

Legeal career and honors

Enich returned to the University of Iowa where he attended law school, receiving his juris doctor degree in 1948. In 1963, he was elected Poweshiek County

Poweshiek County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 18,914 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,949 housing units, of which 7,555 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 attorney. He was appointed to the district court bench in November 1971 by Governor Robert D. Ray

Robert D. Ray

Robert Dolph Ray served as the 38th Governor of Iowa from January 16, 1969 to January 14, 1983. He served in the United States Army. He received his B.A. in Business from Drake University in 1952 and his Law Degree in 1954...

.

Enich was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame

Iowa Sports Hall of Fame

The Iowa Sports Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Des Moines Register, honors outstanding athletes and sports contributors. To be eligible, members must have either been born in Iowa or gained prominence while competing for a college or university in Iowa....

 in 1983 and 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 1990. In 1989, Iowa fans selected an all-time University of Iowa football team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football, and Mike Enich was selected as an offensive tackle.