Two gridiron greats met on October 14, 1939 as Iowa, and its legend Nile Kinnick, traveled to face Michigan and its superstar Tom Harmon. Here’s what happened, and we discuss who should have won that 1939 Heisman Trophy:
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Script:
Michigan has faced off against many would-be Heisman winners over the years, and of course we’ve had three men take that honor since its inception in 1935. On this day in Meechigan football history back in 1939 we faced the Hawkeyes in a game that featured two of the most iconic names to ever take the gridiron, Iowa’s Nile Kinnick and Michigan’s Old 98, Tom Harmon.
Kinnick, who like Harmon played multiple positions for the Hawks, struck first with a 71 yard touchdown pass. But then Harmon did Harmon things – he took over the entire game. The man the Michigan called ‘The Hoosier Hammer’ took over the entire game. He scored the game’s final 27 points on runs of 2, 2, 8 and topped off the scoring by picking off a Kinnick pass and returning it 95 yards to the house. Old 98 also kicked all the extra points in the 27-7 beating of Mrs. Steve Clarke’s beloved Hawkeyes.
Each had fine seasons as Kinnick and Harmon starred on both sides of the ball all year. The Heisman race basically came down to a choice between the Iowa senior and Old 98, who still had a year left in Ann Arbor.
When comparing stats, Harmon had more overall yards and led the nation in scoring, and of course WHOOPED Kinnick in the head-to-head game on this day in 1939 for what that’s worth. Consider since each man played both offense and defense, the head-to-head individual had a lot of impact on the game.
But Kinnick had wildly impressive defensive stats with an amazing 8 interceptions for the season in a day when teams rarely passed the pigskin – and get this, to this day in 2023 – Kinnick STILL holds the records for season and career interceptions for the Hawks. On offense, Kinnick was involved in just about every point the Hawkeyes scored in that 1939 season and rarely left the field.
So while Old 98 had a strong case for the 1939 Heisman he finished 2nd and Kinnick probably deserved to take home the Heisman, but can make a good case for Terrible Tommy.
After graduation Kinnick joined the Navy but sadly he died in pilot training days before his 25th birthday. In 1972 the Iowa Stadium was of course renamed Kinnick Stadium in his honor. Years later the Clarke’s decided against naming their first born son “Nile” but I’m guessing it was on the short list!
Oh, and if you were wondering things worked out just fine for Tom Harmon. After dominating the 1940 season he won HIS HEISMAN and later:
- Was the #1 pick in the NFL draft,
- Married a Hollywood starlet,
- Became a war hero,
- Had a hall of fame broadcasting career,
- Sired the Handsomest Man in the World Mark Harmon – /breath I think you get the picture….
Go Blue – Beat the HOOSIERS ! – And For more, checkout WTKA.com and MVictors.com – for the Keybank Countdown to kickoff this the Professor, Greg Dooley
