Iowa Football Legend Nile Kinnick Earns Unique Distinction

Who's the best college football player to ever wear the No. 24? The man whose name is on a stadium.

A statue of Nile Kinnick is pictured, Sunday, June 30, 2019, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Heisman Trophy remains one of the most iconic trophies in all of sports, and it is an automatic ticket punch into college football's collection of legends.

It is iconic and can transcend across decades, as is the case for Nile Kinnick, the Iowa Hawkeyes' lone Heisman Trophy winner, whose name is stamped on Kinnick Stadium.

Already one of the greatest athletes in the history of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Nile Kinnick is earning another unique distinction that covers the entire college football landscape.

The best college football player to wear No. 24

To stake your claim to something like a number takes a legacy and iconic figure. Nile Kinnick is both of those, as ESPN has declared Nile Kinnick the best college football player to wear No. 24 throughout the entire history of the game.

The 1939 Heisman Trophy winner has the accolades and performance to back it up, too. During his Heisman campaign at Iowa, the utility man threw for 638 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 374 yards.

The talent was recognized nationally, as Kinnick earned honors that include being a First-Team All-American, the Big Ten MVP, and the AP Male Athlete of the Year, on top of the Heisman Trophy.

What other numbers are historic for the Iowa Hawkeyes?

The Iowa Hawkeyes have just two numbers retired at the moment. Nile Kinnick's No. 24 and No. 62, which was worn by Cal Jones, a three-time All-American and Outland Trophy winner as the nation's best interior offensive lineman.

What other Iowa legends have a case for their numbers to be remembered, though?

Would it be a prisoner-of-the-moment answer to say No. 31 for Jack Campbell? A Butkus Award winner and Unanimous All-American, Campbell amassed 305 tackles with the Hawkeyes as a dominant force in the middle of the defense.

What about No. 16? Chuck Long still owns Iowa's passing records and is arguably the best quarterback to come through the Iowa football program in its long and storied history.

Things get a bit tougher to determine who gets the nod when we look into Iowa's traditional strengths. I mean, how do we pick one tight end when Iowa has such an elite history?


Do you go No. 84 for Sam LaPorta? No. 46 for Kittle? No. 87 or 39 for Fant or Hockenson? What about No. 44 for Dallas Clark?

If we get into the offensive line success that has gone through Iowa, the list of historic talent gets even longer. Tristan Wirfs, Tyler Linderbaum, and Brandon Scherff, to name a few, all would like to have a say.