In the middle of the 1938 season, the Iowa State football team faced a challenge that few believed they could survive. They were heading to Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers, a perennial powerhouse that had stifled ISU for almost two decades. But the Cyclones marched into Lincoln and, in front of 28,000 hostile fans, gritted out an 8-7 victory that propelled Iowa State to one of the most successful seasons in school history. ISU dominated the line on both sides of the ball, using a toughness and determination to neutralize Nebraska’s size and speed. No one was more tough and determined on the line that day than Iowa State’s senior captain, Ed Bock.
Ed Bock passed away on July 31 at the age of 87. But his memory will live on thanks to a relentless drive to control the line on offense and defense as a two-way guard. It was a combination of unmerciful effort and an unusual agility for a man of his size that earned Bock the distinction of being the first, and only, Iowa State football player inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Bock’s induction in 1970 was due in no small part to the success of that 1938 Cyclone team. Widely regarded as Iowa State’s all-time best, the 1938 squad rode a ten-game unbeaten streak, including the final two games of 1937, into the season finale against Oklahoma. Despite falling to the Sooners 10-0, the Cyclones finished 7-1-1, a record that today is bested by only one other team in school history. Bock was the heart-and-soul of those teams, especially central in the win against Nebraska that snapped a 19-year skid against ISU’s longtime conference foe.
“Bock would take over games and dictate how we would run our offense,” said Everitt “The Rabbit” Kischer, ISU quarterback and Bock’s teammate for three years. “He was quick and powerful, yet amazingly agile for his build.”
Kischer and Bock were both selected to All-America teams in 1938, but Bock became the first consensus first-team selection in Iowa State history. Bock was also a two-time Big-6 guard and played in several postseason all-star games, including the 1938 East-West Shrine Game. Kischer, who roomed with Bock throughout college, remembered Bock more for his tenacity than anything else.
“Ed played so hard he lost his teeth on several occasions,” Kischer said. “We always teased him that he spent more time looking for his teeth than he did in the huddle.”
Whether it was sheer ruthless aggression, or toothless aggression for that matter, Bock’s persistence helped him succeed well beyond his collegiate playing days. Despite being drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1938, Bock turned down an opportunity to play professional football, as well as an assistant coach offer from Iowa State, to pursue his graduate degree in engineering. After two years, Bock began a career at Monsanto Chemical Company in 1941 and would stay for 31 years, rising to become president and CEO. During his time, Monsanto grew into a multi-billion dollar corporation and was the second largest chemical company in the United States. Among other things, Monsanto became known for developing the artificial playing surface “Astroturf” first used in the Houston Astrodome.
Iowa State and Monsanto both benefited from the drive and determination of Ed Bock. It was his character that pushed Iowa State to victory against Nebraska in 1938, and one that had him recognized in 1970 by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
“Ed was one of those guys that never gave up,” Kischer said. “That, more than anything else, made him the success that he was. That’s what we’ll all remember most.”
