326:, was killed by injuries sustained in a game against the Gophers. In 1934, Simmons was knocked out of the Minnesota game three times due to injuries. Simmons did not play in the second half in a blowout Gopher win. "The Minnesota game was the most blatant attack. They were blatant with their piling on and kneeing me. It was obvious, but the refs didn't call it. Some of our fans wanted to come out on the field," Simmons said in 1989.
220:'s could when he was a sophomore...Most of it seems to come naturally to Simmons, as such things must come to the genius of any line." Simmons was nicknamed "the Ebony Eel" after that game and gained national acclaim. But Iowa lost every remaining game in 1934, despite the play of Simmons, who returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a loss to
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Simmons' senior year in 1936 was a disappointment. Though Ozzie led Iowa in both rushing and scoring, the
Hawkeyes failed to win a conference game and Simmons failed to make any post-season honor teams. Ozzie even quit the team for a couple days after Iowa suffered their worst loss in 20 years, a
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Simmons later became a physical education teacher in the
Chicago public school system. He and his wife, Eutopia Morsell, married in 1960 and lived in Chicago, where she was part-owner of a funeral home. Ozzie retired from teaching in 1979 after 38 years, and then worked with his wife. He died in
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Ozzie
Simmons graduated with 1,544 career rushing yards, the third most in Iowa history at the time. He scored 14 touchdowns in his career, eight of them on plays of 50 yards or more. Though the Hawkeyes had just a 9-11-4 record in his three injury-plagued years at Iowa, Simmons gave Iowa fans
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in his office. Solem was initially stunned to have two black players walk unannounced into his office. But Solem asked the
Simmons brothers to attend Iowa's practice that afternoon. Iowa was conducting a punting drill, and Ozzie Simmons promptly returned two punts back for touchdowns. After
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when Ozzie was injured twice. Reagan said, "I saw (Iowa players) Dick Crayne and Ted
Osmaloski walk over to the Illinois huddle during a timeout, and after the game I found out...they said, 'Do that to (Simmons) once more, and we're going to run you right out of the end of your stadium.'"
166:, Simmons grew up in Texas and was an all-state high school quarterback in a segregated high school league in Fort Worth. College opportunities were limited for black players at the time, but an Iowa alumnus saw Simmons play and suggested that he go to the
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The following year, Minnesota was scheduled to play at Iowa. While talking to a reporter, Iowa's governor stated, "If the officials stand for any rough tactics like
Minnesota used last year, I'm sure the crowd won't." Minnesota's coach
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Minnesota did win a clean, fair game in 1935 that was played without incident. Iowa's governor obtained the pig from
Rosedale Farms and named him Floyd after Minnesota's governor. Minnesota's governor had a bronze replica made of
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Ozzie had been poorly educated in their segregated school in Texas, so he spent his freshman year catching up on academics. By his sophomore year in 1934, Ozzie
Simmons was ready to shine. In his first game, a 34-0 win over
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1935 was
Simmons' finest year. He scored five touchdowns on runs of 50 or more yards in 1935. Simmons scored Iowa's two touchdowns in a 12-6 upset of Colgate, and his touchdown pass to fellow black Iowa star
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Simmons never appeared angry that he was a victim of racism. "I never had any serious problems in my lifetime," Simmons said in 1989. "I respect people and they respect me. I find that to be wonderful."
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requested extra security for his team, and tensions were high. To defuse the situation, Minnesota's governor wagered Iowa's governor a prize hog that the
Gophers would win the game.
260:. Simmons felt that Coach Solem had been too critical of him for Iowa's failures, but Simmons was convinced to return to the team. Ozzie's final game was against nationally ranked
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trophy. As a talented black player in the 1930s, Simmons was a target of opposing players, which accounted for many of his numerous injuries. During a run against
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Simmons was inducted into the Bob Douglas Black Sports Hall of Fame in New York in 1984. In 1989, Iowa fans selected an all-time
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team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football, and Ozzie Simmons was selected to the team as a running back.
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Ozzie rushed for 166 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown sprint, and he had 138 yards on kick and punt returns in his first
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where blacks had been team members, off and on, since 1895. Simmons had heard of the exploits of black Iowa players like
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at the time, and Ozzie Simmons played only two years professionally. Simmons played for the Patterson Panthers of the
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296:, he was punched. In another game, a newspaper account says a player "rammed his locked hands into Simmons' face."
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75 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, by Bert McCrane & Dick Lamb, Page 153 (ASIN: B0007E01F8)
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wrote, "This slithery, rubbery, oozy flyer...can make his legs talk more languages than even
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Ozzie Simmons is probably best known as the central figure in the story that spawned the
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Hawkeye Legends, Lists, & Lore, by Mike Finn & Chad Leistikow, Page 65 (
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493:"Not Only the Ball Was Brown: Black Players in Minor League Football"
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practice, Solem told the brothers, "We'll find you a place to stay."
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2001 from complications from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
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was feeling the ill effects of a brief Big Ten suspension and the
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150:. Nicknamed the "Ebony Eel", Simmons was one of the first black
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But the worst treatment for Ozzie came in the 1934 game against
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142:(June 6, 1914 – September 26, 2001) was an American
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Players of American football from Cooke County, Texas
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selection, as he led the Hawkeyes to a 4-2-2 record.
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Deaths from Parkinson's disease in the United States
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Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in the United States
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Black & Gold Memories, by George Wine, Page 10 (
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Black & Gold Memories, by George Wine, Page 9 (
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Amateur Athletic Foundation: Ozzie Simmons Obituary
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Black & Gold Memories, by George Wine, Page 8 (
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236:was Iowa's only points in a loss to
16:American football player (1914–2001)
464:Ronald Reagan Recalls Ozzie Simmons
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453:The Origin of Floyd of Rosedale.
248:. Ozzie was also a first team
154:football players in the 1930s.
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576:People from Gainesville, Texas
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304:President of the United States
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95:Career highlights and awards
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541:Simmons Obituary From ESPN
318:. Just 12 years earlier,
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210:. Ralph Cannon of the
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72:(2001-09-26)
57:June 6, 1914
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250:All-Big Ten
183:Ossie Solem
176:Duke Slater
116:All-Big Ten
114:First-team
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550:Categories
377:References
324:Jack Trice
320:Iowa State
266:Pop Warner
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158:Background
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162:Born in
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32:Position
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