NIU's Albert Riippi, Football and the War--Part 1

From the November 9, 2013, DeKalb (Ill.) Chronicle "Olson: Honoring captain's career in football, firefighting."

Albert Riippi, 87, will be the honorary football team captain in the Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Ball State University game and near the end of the 2nd quarter will present a new pickup truck to a veteran wounded in Afghanistan on behalf of the DeKalb Firefighters Union.

Mr. Riippi is a lifelong DeKalb resident.

He graduated from DeKalb High School at age 17 in the spring of 1944 and enlisted in the Navy.  Two older brothers were already serving in the military.

He stood 6 foot and weighed 220 pounds, a big Finnish kid who had played offensive tackle for the DeKalb Barbs.

At Northern Illinois Teachers College (as NIU was called back then), football coach Chick Evans needed players with so many young men at war.  His squad was mostly made up of men who were 4-F or had already served.  He asked Riippi to play.  Riippi said to him, "I'm in the Navy.  I'm just waiting to be called."  But he agreed to play until then.

Just Waiting for the Call.  --GreGen