Ozzie Simmons facts for kids

Oze E. "Ozzie" Simmons (June 6, 1914 – September 26, 2001) was an amazing American college football player. He played for the University of Iowa in the 1930s. People called him the "Ebony Eel" because he was so quick and hard to catch. Ozzie Simmons was one of the first African American players to be named an All-American in college football. This means he was one of the best players in the whole country!

Ozzie's Early Life and Journey to Iowa

Ozzie Simmons was born in Gainesville, Texas. He grew up playing football and became a star quarterback in high school. Back then, schools were often separated by race. This meant it was hard for black players to find colleges that would accept them.

But a person who went to the University of Iowa saw Ozzie play. They told him that Iowa had a history of black players on their team. Ozzie had heard about famous black Iowa players like Duke Slater. So, Ozzie and his older brother, Don, decided to take a train to Iowa City.

They found the Iowa football coach, Ossie Solem, in his office. The coach was surprised to see them. But he asked the brothers to come to practice that day. During a punting drill, Ozzie showed off his skills. He returned two punts for touchdowns! After practice, Coach Solem told them, "We'll find you a place to stay."

Ozzie's College Football Career

Ozzie had to work hard on his schoolwork during his first year. By 1934, his second year, he was ready to play football. In his very first game, he scored a 22-yard touchdown run. He also had long punt returns.

In his first game against a Big Ten team, Ozzie ran for 166 yards. He scored a 47-yard touchdown. He also returned kicks and punts for 138 yards. A newspaper writer called him "the Ebony Eel" because he was so slippery. Ozzie became famous across the country. Even though Iowa lost many games that year, Ozzie was still amazing. He was chosen as a first-team All-Big Ten player. He was also a second-team All-American.

Simmons' Best Season in 1935

The year 1935 was Ozzie Simmons' best season. He scored five touchdowns that were 50 yards or longer! He helped Iowa upset Colgate by scoring both of Iowa's touchdowns. He also threw a touchdown pass to another black Iowa star, Homer Harris.

Ozzie's best game in 1935 was against Illinois. He ran for 192 yards and intercepted a pass. He also returned punts and kicks for many yards. He scored a touchdown in Iowa's 19-0 win. Ozzie led Iowa in rushing yards that year. He was chosen as a first-team All-American. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten player again. Iowa finished the season with a good record of 4 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties.

Challenges in His Senior Year

Ozzie's last year in 1936 was tough. He still led Iowa in rushing and scoring. But the team didn't win any conference games. Ozzie even left the team for a few days after a big loss to Minnesota. He felt his coach was too hard on him. But his teammates convinced him to come back.

Ozzie's last game was against a top team, Temple. Their coach was the famous Pop Warner. Ozzie scored a 74-yard touchdown run. This helped Iowa win the game 25-0 in a big upset!

Ozzie Simmons finished his college career with 1,544 rushing yards. This was the third most in Iowa history at the time. He scored 14 touchdowns. Eight of those were on plays of 50 yards or more! Even though the team had a tough record during his time, Ozzie gave Iowa fans a lot to cheer about.

The Story of Floyd of Rosedale

Ozzie Simmons is also famous for being part of the story behind the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. Because he was such a talented black player in the 1930s, opposing players often targeted him. This led to many injuries. In one game, a player punched him. In another, a newspaper said a player "rammed his locked hands into Simmons' face."

Ronald Reagan, who later became the 40th President of the United States, was a sportscaster back then. He said that teams without black players would often pick on Ozzie. He remembered a game against Illinois. Ozzie was hurt twice. Reagan said that Iowa players told the Illinois team, "Do that to (Simmons) once more, and we're going to run you right out of the end of your stadium!"

The Minnesota Game and the Pig

The worst treatment for Ozzie came in a 1934 game against Minnesota. Just 12 years before, Iowa State's first black player, Jack Trice, died from injuries in a game against Minnesota. In the 1934 game, Ozzie was knocked out three times due to injuries. He couldn't play in the second half. Ozzie said in 1989 that the Minnesota game was a "blatant attack." He said they were clearly trying to hurt him, but the referees didn't call any fouls.

The next year, Minnesota was scheduled to play at Iowa. People were worried about another rough game. Iowa's governor even said that if the officials allowed rough play, the crowd might get involved. To calm things down, Minnesota's governor made a bet with Iowa's governor. He bet a prize hog that Minnesota would win the game.

Minnesota won the game in 1935. It was a clean and fair game with no problems. Iowa's governor got the pig from Rosedale Farms. He named it Floyd, after Minnesota's governor. Minnesota's governor then had a bronze statue made of "Floyd of Rosedale". Iowa and Minnesota have played for this trophy every year since 1935.

Life After Football and Honors

After college, Ozzie Simmons played professional football for two years. Black players were not allowed in the NFL at that time. He played for the Patterson Panthers in another league. He was a top player there too.

Later, Ozzie became a physical education teacher in Chicago. He taught for 38 years before retiring in 1979. He died in 2001.

Ozzie Simmons received many honors. In 1984, he was put into the Bob Douglas Black Sports Hall of Fame. In 1989, Iowa fans picked an all-time University of Iowa football team. Ozzie Simmons was chosen as a running back for that team.

Ozzie never seemed angry about the racism he faced. In 1989, he said, "I never had any serious problems in my lifetime. I respect people and they respect me. I find that to be wonderful."