DIY History | Transcribe | Nile Kinnick Collection | Nile Kinnick and Nile Kinnick Sr. letters to William C. Stuart, 1941-1983

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Nile Kinnick and Nile Kinnick Sr. letters to William C. Stuart, 1941-1983

1989: Page 05

going directly into law school to save the extra years expenses.
I was overwhelmed when he asked me  to room with him.  That
invitation made up my mind for me. I was so excited and honored
I could hardly wait to telephone my parents.
I saw Nile twice that summer.  He stopped by Chariton on
his way to or from his home in Omaha.  We played golf at our
country club here.  Nile strived for perfection in any thing he
did, golf included.  When he wasn't exercising his ankles or
practicing his punting steps, he was trying to groove his golf
swing. Although he was a very good golfer, he never got his game
perfected the way he would have liked.
I really got to know Nile the fall of 1940.  We joined the
Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and lived in the law commons.  We
had a living-study room and shared a sleeping room with Tom
Louden and Avery Arant.  We studied together and were on the
same team for freshman arguments, That fall was a busy one.  In
addition to the school work, Nile was in demand around the state
during  and after football season.  He accepted as many of the
requests as he felt he could.  He believed he owed it to the
young student football players to share his experiences and
philosophy with them.
Nile had an old blue V-8 coupe.  We would drive it to his
speaking engagements.  I went with him  many times.  Ordinarily
he would make a short inspirational speech at a banquet or
assembly, then put on football clothes,  and demonstrate his
kicking and passing skills.  The boys were really excited about
catching his passes or fielding his punts or retrieving his drop
kicks.  Nile was ambidextrous and he would pass to the boys with
either hand.  Just for fun he would try to kick the ball to them
as if it were a pass.  Occassionally he would succeed and the
crowd would scream.  He would try to make his punts bounce to
the right or left and a good share of the time he was able to do
it.
It was generally late at night when we got home. On one
return trip, he told me how hard up he had been his freshman and
sophomore years.  He had a job at the field house that paid him
a little. He said it was a real treat when he had an extra
nickle or dime for an ice cream cone.
Nile continued to be a great believer in physical
conditioning.  He challenged me to a program of calisthenics
where he would do twice as many of the particular exercise as I
would do.  I thought I was in pretty good shape, but he  was
able to outdo me every time.  However, we had to stop doing
situps because they took too much time.  We occassionally went
to the field house.  Nile was the best handball player in school
and he tried to teach me.  I was no good with my left hand, so
that was not much fun for either of us.  I talked him into
playing badminton once. It was a new game for him and I won.  I
think he felt it was sort of a sissy game,  Any way we never

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going directly into law school to save the extra years expenses. I was overwhelmed when he asked me to room with him. That invitation made up my mind for me. I was so excited and honored I could hardly wait to telephone my parents. I saw Nile twice that summer. He stopped by Chariton on his way to or from his home in Omaha. We played golf at our country club here. Nile strived for perfection in any thing he did, golf included. When he wasn't exercising his ankles or practicing his punting steps, he was trying to groove his golf swing. Although he was a very good golfer, he never got his game perfected the way he would have liked. I really got to know Nile the fall of 1940. We joined the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and lived in the law commons. We had a living-study room and shared a sleeping room with Tom Louden and Avery Arant. We studied together and were on the same team for freshman arguments, That fall was a busy one. In addition to the school work, Nile was in demand around the state during and after football season. He accepted as many of the requests as he felt he could. He believed he owed it to the young student football players to share his experiences and philosophy with them. Nile had an old blue V-8 coupe. We would drive it to his speaking engagements. I went with him many times. Ordinarily he would make a short inspirational speech at a banquet or assembly, then put on football clothes, and demonstrate his kicking and passing skills. The boys were really excited about catching his passes or fielding his punts or retrieving his drop kicks. Nile was ambidextrous and he would pass to the boys with either hand. Just for fun he would try to kick the ball to them as if it were a pass. Occassionally he would succeed and the crowd would scream. He would try to make his punts bounce to the right or left and a good share of the time he was able to do it. It was generally late at night when we got home. On one return trip, he told me how hard up he had been his freshman and sophomore years. He had a job at the field house that paid him a little. He said it was a real treat when he had an extra nickle or dime for an ice cream cone. Nile continued to be a great believer in physical conditioning. He challenged me to a program of calisthenics where he would do twice as many of the particular exercise as I would do. I thought I was in pretty good shape, but he was able to outdo me every time. However, we had to stop doing situps because they took too much time. We occassionally went to the field house. Nile was the best handball player in school and he tried to teach me. I was no good with my left hand, so that was not much fun for either of us. I talked him into playing badminton once. It was a new game for him and I won. I think he felt it was sort of a sissy game, Any way we never