Author to Sign Book on Drake Legend Johnny Bright Before Home Football Game

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 | Books, Iowa History Journal | No Comments

DES MOINES, IOWA — The legend of Johnny Bright, Drake’s greatest athletic hero, springs back to life this month as Johnny graces the cover of two new publications – a magazine and a book.

A beautiful artwork of Bright is on the cover of Iowa History Journal, a magazine that covers all aspects of Iowa history, from sports to entertainment, to business and politics, and various historical figures and events.

The Bulldog star led the entire nation in total offense in both 1949 and 1950, and was leading it again in 1951 when he was knocked out of action in one of the ugliest incidents in college football history. Bright was a first team All-American and finished fifth in the balloting of the 1951 Heisman Trophy despite missing two of the Drake games due to the incident.

Bright is also one of four Iowa football stars featured in a new book, Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright.

There will be a book signing by Mike Chapman, author of Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stores of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright, prior to Drake’s homecoming football game against Marist this Saturday.

Read more details…

Tags: Fred Becker, Iowa Football, Iowa History, Iowa History Journal, Jack Trice, Johnny Bright, Nile Kinnick

Triumph & Tragedy Online Purchase Available

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 | Books | No Comments

UPDATE: Sold out currently. Used copies are available by calling the number below

Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright is available for purchase online through Paypal. The cost is $26.95 + $5 for shipping and handling.

You can also purchase by calling Culture House Books at 641-791-3072.

For details on the book view the previous post regarding it.

Tags: Fred Becker, Iowa Football, Jack Trice, Johnny Bright, Nile Kinnick

New book features Iowa football legends

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 | Books | No Comments

Four iconic Iowa sports figures are featured in a new book entitled Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright.

The book was written by Mike Chapman and is published by Culture House, an Iowa company that specializes in biographies. It features 57 photos, many of which have never been published before, and a foreword by Jim Zabel, legendary WHO radio sportscaster.

Triumph and Tragedy is a book that Chapman has been working on for several years. It tells the stories of four football heroes at the University of Iowa, Iowa State and Drake, each of who faced tragedy in life after excelling on the football field of competition.

Read on for more details on Becker, Trice, Kinnick, and Bright…

Tags: Fred Becker, Iowa Football, Jack Trice, Johnny Bright, Nile Kinnick

Iowa History Journal Issue 5 Now Available

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments

Issue number 5, October 2009, of the Iowa History Journal is now available.

Inside the issue:

• Saga of the USS Iowa
• Old Chapel Resurrected
• Rocky Marciano’s Fatal Trip
• Three Baseball Books
• Recalling the Big Peach
• Iowa History Quiz
• Columns by Iowans

Visit IowaHistoryJournal.com to subscribe!

Tags: Fred Becker, Rocky Marciano, USS Iowa