Bronko Nagurski facts for kids
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski (born November 3, 1908 – died January 7, 1990) was a famous Canadian-born athlete. He was a professional American football player and a successful professional wrestler. People knew him for his incredible strength and large size.
Nagurski was a star player at the University of Minnesota. He played both tackle on defense and fullback on offense. He was chosen as an All-American in 1929. Later, he was one of the first people inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. His professional football career was with the Chicago Bears. He played from 1930 to 1937 and then again in 1943. He was also one of the first people inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
Contents
Bronko Nagurski's Early Life and College Football Career
Growing Up in Minnesota
Bronko Nagurski was born in Rainy River, Ontario, Canada. His family had roots in Ukraine and Poland. When he was five, his family moved to International Falls, Minnesota. Bronko grew up helping on his parents' farm and sawmill. He also delivered groceries for his father's store. As a teenager, he worked in timber operations. This hard work helped him become a very strong and muscular person.
How Bronko Was Discovered
A famous story says that Clarence Spears, the University of Minnesota coach, found Bronko. Spears was looking for another player in International Falls. He saw Bronko plowing a field by himself. The legend says Spears asked for directions, and Bronko lifted his plow to point the way! Spears was so impressed that he signed Bronko on the spot. Coach Spears later said he made up the story on his drive back to the university.
Proving His Strength in College
On his first day of practice, Coach Spears tested Bronko in a tough drill. It was called the "Nutcracker." A defensive player had to tackle a ball carrier while two blockers tried to stop him. Bronko easily broke through the blockers. He drove the ball carrier into a dummy. Spears tried again with more players, but Bronko had the same powerful results. The coach quickly realized how special Bronko was.
Playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Bronko Nagurski became a standout player at the University of Minnesota. He played from 1927 to 1929. He was amazing at both offensive fullback and defensive tackle. In 1929, he rushed for 737 yards. He was named an All-American at fullback. Some teams even picked him as an All-American at tackle.
A famous sportswriter, Grantland Rice, praised Bronko greatly. He said, "Who would you pick to win a football game: 11 Jim Thorpes, 11 Glen Davises, 11 Red Granges, or 11 Bronko Nagurskis? The 11 Nagurskis would be a mop-up. It would be something close to murder and massacre." This shows how highly people thought of his skills.
Bronko's Memorable College Game
One of his best college games was against Wisconsin in 1928. Bronko played with a special corset to protect his cracked back bones. He recovered a fumble deep in Wisconsin's territory. Then, he ran the ball six times in a row to score the winning touchdown. Later in the same game, he intercepted a pass to secure the victory.
During his three years at Minnesota, the team won 18 games, lost 4, and tied 2. They also won the Big Ten Conference championship in 1927. Bronko was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
Bronko Nagurski's Professional Sports Career
Football with the Chicago Bears
Bronko Nagurski started playing professional football for the Chicago Bears in 1930. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed about 235 pounds. He was a very strong and important player. He helped the Bears win many division titles and two NFL championships. He played for eight years, gaining 3,947 rushing yards. He also scored 236 points.
Bronko had the largest NFL Championship ring size ever recorded, 19 1/2. He wore a size-8 helmet. He was probably the biggest running back of his time. He was even bigger than most linemen. He often dragged several tacklers with him. In the old days, players played on both offense and defense. Bronko was a great defensive lineman. If he got injured, he would sometimes play as an offensive tackle instead of sitting out. He once said if he played today, he would probably be a linebacker.
Famous Football Stories
There's a famous story about Bronko scoring a touchdown against the Washington Redskins. He supposedly knocked two linebackers in different directions. Then he ran over a defensive back and crushed a safety. He bounced off the goalposts and even cracked Wrigley Field's brick wall. When he returned to the huddle, he reportedly said, "That last guy hit me awfully hard."
Another story involves a game against the Packers. Green Bay's Cal Hubbard wanted to tackle Bronko. He told Red Grange, a Bears player, to get out of the way. Grange agreed. Cal ran through the line, hit Nagurski, and bounced off. Getting up slowly, he told Grange, "Hey, Red, don't do me any more favors."
Winning NFL Championships
At the end of the 1932 season, the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans were tied. The league decided to hold its first playoff game to decide the champion. Because it was cold, the game was played indoors at Chicago Stadium. The Bears won 9–0. In that game, Bronko Nagurski made a controversial play. He handed the ball off, then pulled up and threw it to Red Grange for a touchdown. The Spartans argued that Bronko didn't follow the rules for passing, but the touchdown counted.
This playoff game was so popular that the league changed its structure. For the 1933 season, they created two divisions. The winners would play in a scheduled championship game. New rules were also added, like moving the goal posts closer to the goal line.
In 1943, many Bears players were fighting in World War II. Bronko Nagurski came out of retirement to play tackle. He later switched back to fullback. He scored a touchdown in a key game against the Chicago Cardinals. The Bears won that game 35–24. This win helped them reach the 1943 NFL Championship Game. Chicago then won the 1943 title by beating the Washington Redskins 41–21. Bronko scored a three-yard touchdown run in that championship game.
After the 1943 season, he retired again. He briefly coached for the UCLA Bruins. Then he returned to farming.
Bronko Nagurski as a Professional Wrestler
While playing football, Bronko also became a professional wrestler. He was a huge attraction. He started wrestling in 1933. He quickly became a champion. He won a version of the world championship in 1937. He then won the full National Wrestling Association world title in 1939. He lost and regained the title in 1940 and 1941. Bronko continued to wrestle until 1960.
Bronko Nagurski's Life After Sports
After retiring from wrestling, Bronko Nagurski went back home to International Falls. He opened a gas station. A local story says he had the best repeat business because he would screw customers' gas caps on so tightly that no one else could unscrew them! He retired from the gas station in 1978. He lived a quiet life by Rainy Lake until he passed away.
In 1984, Bronko Nagurski performed the coin toss at Super Bowl XVIII. He died on January 7, 1990, in International Falls, Minnesota. He is buried there.
Honors and Legacy of Bronko Nagurski
Bronko Nagurski received many honors for his amazing career. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-ever member in 1963. His jersey is on display at the University of Minnesota.
After he died, his hometown opened the Bronko Nagurski Museum. Sports Illustrated named him one of the four greatest athletes in Minnesota history. In 1993, the Football Writers Association of America created the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. This award is given every year to the best defensive player in college football. Famous winners include Warren Sapp and Charles Woodson.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated picked him as a starting defensive tackle for their "NCAA Football All-Century Team." The Sporting News ranked him No. 35 on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. He was the highest-ranked foreign-born player. In 2000, he was voted the second-greatest Minnesotan sportsman of the 20th century.
His hometown high school in International Falls is nicknamed the Broncos in his honor. In 2021, he was inducted into the National Polish-American Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
-
Nagurski posing in a wrestling ring, 1937
