Iowa State Athletes

I also mentioned Hall of Fame gridder/coach Harley Rollinger from Le Mars. Here is a bit more about the late place kicker who played guard both ways.

At age nineteen, he enlisted in the Army Air Force, later flew 76 combat missions against the Germans and was eventually awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and the Air Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters. Discharged in 1945, Harley starred three years and captained the football team in 1947.

He became the head coach at Webster City in the fall of 1948, and the Lynx dominated the next 18 seasons, winning 10 championships while compiling a record of 129-22-5. Six of those teams were undefeated and Coach Rollinger coached 39 All-State players, and three All-Americans.

In 1967 he become the head coach at Moline High School in Illinois and led the 1968 Maroons to a 9-0 record. Rollinger amassed a career record of 172-31-7 and not only was the 1961 Des Moines Register "Coach of the Year", but also was inducted into the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1969.