Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On June 18, 2005, Hawkeye football, basketball, and baseball great Erwin Theodore “Evr” Prasse passed away. A captain of Iowa’s 1939 “Ironman” team, Prasse gained opportunities to play professional football, basketball, and baseball after his multisport career at Iowa.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Prasse arrived in Iowa City to play for a struggling Hawkeye football team. Prasse stood out on the gridiron to make All-Big 10 his junior year despite enduring a 2-13-1 record over the 1937 and 1938 seasons. Named a captain in 1939, Prasse helped turn the Hawkeyes around. Nile Kinnick tossed Prasse three touchdowns in the Hawks Big 10 opening win over Indiana. Prasse and several teammates routinely played all 60 minutes of each game to earn the nickname “Ironmen.” While Kinnick captured the Heisman, Prasse became a second-team All-American and a draft pick of the Detroit Lions.
Prasse also contributed on the hardwood for the Hawkeyes, lettering in basketball for three seasons. Good enough to gain a chance to play in the National Basketball League, Prasse went on to play for the 1941 and 1942 NBL champion Oshkosh All-Stars before leaving the team to serve in World War II.
Starring at second base on the diamond for the Hawkeyes, Prasse helped the team capture the Big 10 championship in 1938 and 1939. Prasse capitalized on his sure-handed fielding and pop at the plate to capture Big 10 MVP honors during the 1938 season. After Iowa, Prasse spent his summers playing in the St. Louis Cardinals organization before enlisting in the Army. An officer who took part in the D-Day landing at Omaha Beach, an enemy shot in the arm while on reconnaissance largely ended Prasse’s incredible athletic career. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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