The 1955 Iowa Hawkeyes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Iowa as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1955 Big Ten football season. In their fourth season under head coach Forest Evashevski, the Hawkeyes compiled a 3–5–1 record (2–3–1 in conference games), finished in seventh place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 173 to 166. They were ranked No. 19 in the final UPI poll.

The 1955 Hawkeyes gained 1,937 rushing yards and 942 passing yards. On defense, they gave up 1,479 rushing yards and 975 passing yards.2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 161. Iowa's 362 rushing attempts in 1955 remains the school record.2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 267. Iowa broke the school's single-game total defense record by holding Kansas State to 67 yards; that mark remains the second lowest in Iowa history. The team also held two opponents (Kansas State and Ohio State) to zero passing yards.2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 276.

The team's statistical leaders included Eddie Vincent (381 rushing yards, 30 points scored); Jerry Reichow (48-of-88 passing for 722 yards); and Jim Gibbons (16 receptions for 257 yards).2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, pp. 278-279. Reichow was selected as the team's most valuable player.2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 111. Guard Cal Jones won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman and was a consensus All-American for the second consecutive year.

The team played its home games at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Home attendance was 201,072, an average of 50,268 per game. It was the first time Iowa drew an average of over 50,000 spectators to its home games.2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 260.

Schedule

Personnel Players The following players received varsity letters for their performance on the 1955 Iowa football team:

Frank Bloomquist, guard/tackle, sophomore, 6-2, 205 pounds, Waterloo, IA Don Bowen, tackle, sophomore, 6-3, 205 pounds, East St. Louis, IL John Burroughs, guard/tackle, sophomore, 6-4, 226 pounds, Washington, DC Richard Deasy, tackle/guard, junior, 6-0, 208 pounds, Chicago Don Dobrino, quarterback, junior, 6-2, 200 pounds, Mount Olive, IL Jim Freeman, end, senior, 6-4, 234 pounds, Iowa City, IA Jim Gibbons, end, sophomore, No. 88, 6-3, 204 pounds, Chicago Frank Gilliam, end, senior, No. 37, 6-2, 183 pounds, Steubenville, OH Collins "Mike" Hagler, halfback, sophomore, 5-9, 168 pounds, Washington, DC Bill Happel, back, 170 pounds Fred Harris, fullback, sophomore, 6-1, 203 pounds, Bannockburn, IL Toni Hatch, end, junior, 6-1, 190 pounds, Lancaster, WI Ken Jehle, tackle, senior, 6-1, 207 pounds, West Liberty, IA Cal Jones, guard, senior, No. 62, 6-0, 220 pounds, Steubenville, OH Eldan Kanellis, fullback, senior, 6-0, 190 pounds, Cedar Rapids, IA Alex Karras, tackle/guard, sophomore, No. 77, 6-2, 235 pounds, Gary, IN George Kress, guard, sophomore, 6-2, 230 pounds, Dubuque, IA Eldean Matheson, halfback, senior, 6-0, 170 pounds, Lake Mills, IA Ken Ploen, quarterback/halfback, junior, 6-2, 175 pounds, Clinton, IA Bill Reichow, tackle, junior, 6-2, 210 pounds, Decorah, IA Jerry Reichow, quarterback, senior, No. 25, 6-2, 200 pounds, Decorah, IA Frank Rigney, end, sophomore, 6-4, 219 pounds, East St. Louis, IL Terry Shuck, tackle, senior, 6-2, 198 pounds, Des Moines, IA Norman Six, center, senior, 6-2, 200 pounds, North Cumberland, WV Earl Smith, halfback, senior, 5-11, 171 pounds, Gary, IN Don Suchy, center, junior, 6-0, 210 pounds, Belle Plaine, IA Rodger Swedberg, tackle, senior, 6-1, 215 pounds, Sycamore, IL Duane Tofson, quarterback, senior, 5-11, 185 pounds, Wisconsin Dells, WI Bill Van Buren, center, sophomore, 6-0, 205 pounds, Lorain, OH Eddie Vincent, halfback, senior, No. 41, 5-11, 175 pounds, Steubenville, OH Roger Wiegmann, fullback, senior, 6-2, 190 pounds, Waverly, IA

2022 Media Guide, pp. 250-258.

Coaches Head coach - Forest Evashevski Assistant coaches - Bump Elliott, Whitey Piro

Awards and honors Guard Cal Jones was the team captain. He won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman. He was also a consensus All-American for the second consecutive year.2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, pp. 200, 203, 212, 220. Jones was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Quarterback Jerry Reichow was selected as the team's most valuable player.2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 222.

Three Iowa players received honors on the 1955 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Jones (AP-1, UP-1, INS-1); halfback Eddie Vincent (UP-2, INS-1); and quarterback Jerry Reichow (UP-3).

Three players on the 1955 team were later inducted into the Iowa Letterwinners Club Hall of Fame: Cal Jones; end Jim Gibbons; and quarterback Ken Ploen.2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 211.

In popular culture The November 12 game against Ohio State was mentioned in the movie Back to the Future Part II. A radio announcer telling the scores of the day's games mentions that Ohio State beat Iowa 20–10.

1956 NFL draft

Jerry Reichow Quarterback 438 Detroit Lions Jim Freeman End 5 50 Los Angeles Rams Eddie Vincent Back 6 72 Los Angeles Rams Cal Jones Guard 9 98 Detroit Lions Roger Swedberg Tackle 12 136 San Francisco 49ers

References