Jack Trice

John G. Trice (May 12, 1902 – October 8, 1923) was an American college football player who became the first African-American athlete for Iowa State College. Trice died due to injuries suffered during a game against the University of Minnesota on October 6, 1923. He is the namesake for Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa State's football stadium.

Background Trice was born in Hiram, Ohio, in 1902, the son of a former Buffalo Soldier, Green Trice. As a child, Trice was active in sports and demonstrated outstanding athletic skills. In 1918, Trice's mother sent him to Cleveland to live with an uncle. Trice attended East Technical High School, where he played football. In 1922, Trice followed five of his teammates, as well as his former high school coach, Sam Willaman, to Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa.

On July 27, 1922, before his freshman year at Iowa State College and at the age of 20, Trice married Cora Mae Starland, who was 15. She had lied on her marriage certificate.

While attending Iowa State, Trice participated in track and football (primarily as a tackle). He majored in animal husbandry, with the desire to go to the South after graduation, and use his knowledge to help African-American farmers. Trice also was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and initiated through the Alpha Nu chapter (Drake and Iowa State University).

The game, Trice's death, and aftermath Tackle Jack Trice and end Jim Snyder team up on Minnesota defender, No. 10 Hugh MacDonald, to open a hole for ball-carrier John Behm in the ill-fated game of October 6, 1923. On October 6, 1923, Trice and his Iowa State College teammates played against the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. On the night of the game, Trice and his teammates stayed at the Radisson Hotel, but he could not eat with them in the dining room.

In the third quarter, while attempting to tackle a Minnesota ball carrier, Trice ended up on his back after a roll block (a now banned play that is similar to the also illegal chop block) and was trampled by three Minnesota players.

Iowa State dismissed all classes after 3 p.m. on October 9, 1923, in honor of Trice.

Trice's funeral was held at the Iowa State College's Central Campus in Ames on October 16, 1923, with 4,000 students and faculty members in attendance. His casket was draped in cardinal and gold (Iowa State's school colors) before he was buried. Trice's casket was transported to Hiram, Ohio for burial at Fairview Cemetery.

As a result of his death, Iowa State did not renew its contract to play against Minnesota for 66 years. The teams did not play again until 1989. The ISU student body government, wanting to do more to honor Trice, raised money to erect a statue of Trice in 1987. Due to the persistence of the student body government, students, alumni, faculty and staff, and other supporters (including public figures such as Paul Newman, and Nikki Giovanni), the football stadium at Iowa State University was finally named Jack Trice Stadium in 1997. Jack Trice Stadium is currently the only Division I FBS stadium or arena to be named after an African American.

Under former head coach Matt Campbell, Iowa State football made a major effort to honor Trice's legacy throughout the program. The team has adopted a striped, pentagonal secondary logo, an homage to the uniform design worn during Trice's era and worn on all uniforms. More recently, the Cyclones have added the phrase "I will!", in Trice's handwriting, to the rear bumper of their helmets. Iowa State's primary name, image, and likeness scheme is known as the "We Will Fund" as a tribute to Trice and his final message.

Though the statement is disputed, Jack Trice is believed by some to be the innovator behind the "shovel", "shuffle", shuttle" or "Utah" pass, a short forward pass generally to the running or up back behind the line of scrimmage. According to legend, Trice conceived the concept and presented to coach Sam Willaman. When Willaman attempted the play in a game against Drake later that year, the ball was dropped and the official incorrectly called it a fumble. The play was not used again and disappeared from college football until it was resurrected by Jack Curtice at the University of Utah in 1957.

In 2015, the story of Jack Trice was being shopped around to movie studios with the hopes that a film is made. A successful stage play debuted in 2010.

Trice was one of three Iowa college athletes, each from one of the state's three public four-year universities, to be the subjects of butter sculptures at the 2023 Iowa State Fair. Trice was joined by Caitlin Clark (Iowa basketball) and Kurt Warner (Northern Iowa football).

Throughout 2023 and culminating in a closing ceremony on Central Campus marking the 100th anniversary of his death on October 8, a Commemoration Committee led by Toyia Younger (Senior Vice President for Student Affairs) curated various events to honor his legacy. Programs included exhibitions on campus and at the Iowa State Fair, lectures, grants, the renaming of the street in front of the football stadium that bears his name to Jack Trice Way, dedication of a commemorative sculpture titled Breaking Barriers by artist Ivan Toth Depeña, hosting a Jack Trice Legacy football game on October 7, and finally the presentation of a posthumous degree in animal husbandry accepted by George Trice, a relative of Jack Trice and ISU Graduate.