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John Isenbarger, a two-time All-American running back and star of Indiana’s lone Rose Bowl team in 1968, died, per an announcement by Indiana Athletics.
Isenbarger is member of Indiana’s football Hall of Fame and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection. The school’s No. 10 all-time leading rusher (1,217 yards), Isenbarger was also an accomplished punter, leading the Big Ten in that category in 1967.
Isenbarger, a Muncie Central grad, pole vaulted 13 feet and finished fourth in the high school state meet. He was recruited in basketball, his favorite sport, by Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp and received a letter from Tom Harmon — Heisman Trophy winner, World War II hero and sportscaster — that urged him to pick Michigan. But Isenbarger just liked IU and its coach John Pont.
Isenbarger and Harry Gonso entered the 1967 in a quarterback battle, which Gonso won. Isenbarger switched to running back, a position he hadn’t played before.
“You’re a sophomore on scholarship, and you’ve got to pretty much do what the coach says. And I wanted to play,” Isenbarger told IndyStar in 2017.
IU’s Rose Bowl season had plenty of special and weird moments. One came at Michigan.
The Hoosiers led the Wolverines 20-0. The margin closed to 20-14, and Isenbarger had to punt from inside the Indiana 10. Except he did not punt. He ran the ball and fumbled it away at the 16. The Wolverines scored, and only a botched snap kept the score tied at 20.
Pont told Sports Illustrated it was the maddest he had been in his life. Isenbarger told his coach, “Why do I do things like that?”
Isenbarger went to the bench. Michigan went on the move. Michigan should have gone ahead but missed a 22-yard field goal. Gonso pleaded for Isenbarger to be reinstated, and what was a coach to do?
Isenbarger scored from one yard out with less than two minutes left, and the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/john-isenbarger-dies-indiana-football-123455018.html
Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star
Publish date : 2024-03-08 12:34:55
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