As if there isn’t enough football on television. Who wants to read about it too. Obviously someone, judging from the numerous books dedicated to not just football, but Hawkeye football. So, if you’re a football widow looking to impress the hubs with some football factoids or your just looking for a gift for the Hawk fan who has everything, one of these books might just do the trick.
“University of Iowa Football Vault” by Mike Finn
From the publisher (so you know it must be true): Mike Finn takes you from the early days when football was a fad from the East, to the early dynasty of Howard Jones, to the 1939 Ironmen and Nile Kinnick, through the glory years of Forest Evashevski, to the return to glory under Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. This detailed “scrapbook” contains never-before-published photographs, artwork and memorabilia drawn from Iowa’s athletic department and school archives. Tucked into dozens of pockets, fans will find reproductions of old game programs, historic tickets, postcards and photos. These fascinating replicas include an 1890 Iowa Wesleyan game stats sheet, a 1921 Aubrey Devine news clip, a 1939 Kinnick Heisman program, a 1952 Evashevski booklet, a 1955 Cal Jones news clip, a 1981 Fry Coach of the Year card and a 2004 Ohio State game ticket.
“The 50 Greatest Plays in Iowa Hawkeyes Football History” by Michael Maxwell
University of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who wrote the forward, says “A book like this really does make me appreciate all the great moments we worked so hard together to build here at the University of Iowa.” There are passages by the Voice of the Hawkeyes Gary Dolphin too. He says: “Are these 50 plays contained within the pages of this publication truly the greatest in Hawkeyes history? I think so. You and I might argue about their order of placement, but that’s the fun, excitement, and the joy of the read.” The 50 chapters describe the action, profile the participants, and reveal the story behind each play.
“Greatest Moments in Iowa Hawkeyes Football History” by The Gazette staff
Compiled by The Gazette in 2006, “Greatest Moments in Iowa Hawkeyes’ Football History” covers all the high points of the University of Iowa Hawkeye’s stellar record, both in the Big Ten and in postseason bowl games, including the team’s annual struggle with archrival Minnesota for the world’s most famous pig trophy, the coveted “Floyd of Rosedale.”
“Game Day: Iowa Football: The Greatest Games, Players, Coaches and Teams in the Glorious Tradition of Hawkeye Football” by Athlon Sports
Again, from the publisher: The names are oh-so-familiar to fans of college football: Nile Kinnick, Alex Karras, Chuck Long, Brad Banks, Tim Dwight, Ladell Betts and Drew Tate. Those names and countless others have given Iowa football an unmatched tradition and legacy of greatness. In this book, Athlon sports attempted to distill that tradition into words and pictures. A daunting task. Few programs inspire the loyalty and passion that Iowa football exacts from its fans, and with good reason.
“Bowls, Polls, and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy That Reign over College Football” by Stewart Mandel
This book tries to tackle the fanaticism and chaos that characterize college football today. Author Stewart Mandel takes a look at the hot-button issues: the controversial BCS; the polls and rankings; the recruiting craze; cheating and recent scandals; the huge pressures and salaries heaped on coaches; the Heisman hype-fest; the NFL draft; conference expansions; and the proliferation of bowl games. Get behind-the-scenes insights on how the issues evolved and why some are almost impossible to resolve.
