Evashevski faced similar giant decision

 

 

As an athlete Forest Evashevski was selected as an all-Big Ten performer as a blocking quarterback for Coach Fritz Crisler and the University of Michigan.  He also won the Big Ten medal which is given to the school’s best senior student-athlete. In addition to football, Evashevski also served as a catcher on the University of Michigan’s baseball team and was president of his senior class. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Hall Of Honor in 1990 and the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.  He passed away in 2009.

After Michigan, he then continued his athletic career as a coach.  He had great success at the University of Iowa.

In 1960, Forest Evashevski, after winning three Big Ten football titles at Iowa and two Rose Bowl games was invited to interview for the head coaching job for the Green Bay Packers.  Secretly, he traveled to Green Bay for the interview and the Board of Directors of the Packers offered him the job with a big raise.  Evy accepted the position.  Rerouted back to Iowa, with a stopover in Minneapolis he called his wife Ruth to tell her the news.  She asked him, “Can you really be happy with the pros?”  Evy had a change of heart and turned the job down.  One Vince Lombardi took the position and the rest was NFL football history.

Evashevski went on to be Iowa’s Director of Athletics for ten more years.  He retired at 52, and was a color commentator for ABC College Football.  He passed away last year at 91, while residing in Northern Michigan.  He is survived by wife Ruth, seven children, 14 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

 Submitted by, Raymond Rolak -Past NPASHF Chairman