No player in college football history meant more to a whole state than Nile Kinnick meant to Iowa becoming its most popular hero and is still today its most revered icon. Following his Iowa career, in which he won the Heisman trophy, Kinnick chose to go to law school and join the Naval Air Corps Reserve. On June 2, 1943, while flying a routine training mission in the Gulf of Paria, his plane suddenly developed a serious oil leak. Since landing on board would have endangered many lives, Nile instead decided to ditch at sea. No trace of him or his plane was ever found. Vintage pencil signature, “Nile Kinnick,” on an off-white 3 x 2.25 slip affixed to a 5.5 x 3.75 album page. Consignor notes signature was obtained on February 10, 1941, in Muscatine, Iowa at a Father and Son banquet at the first Methodist Church where Kinnick was the guest speaker and signed for the kids after the event. In fine condition, with collector’s notation to bottom edge, a few light wrinkles and a bit of mild toning from adhesive on reverse, not affecting bold signature. COA Steve Grad/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
