Iowa State University honored its first African American athlete by naming their stadium after him.  Jack Trice Stadium is the only District 1-A stadium to be named after an African American. Jack Trice was a student at Iowa State in 1922 and played football and ran track for the Cyclones. Jack or “Johnny” was the first African American to play any sports for the university.  He went through many challenges playing for the Cyclones in a time of such hardship for colored people.

The stadium was named after Jack because of the persistent efforts of the students at Iowa State University.  They wanted his legacy to go on for years.  Because of this, the stadium is a constant vision of pride.  The people that enter take pride in their team and the stadium.  All year round people drive past and think of all the exciting things that go on inside the grandstands.  During football season there is constant cheer and happiness at and around the stadium.  People that attend the games instantly become friends in cheering on the Cyclones.  On game days people surround the stadium hours in advance to the game to celebrate their pride for the team.  The parking lots are full and people are everywhere. Once the game begins a sea of cardinal and gold take over the stadium and you can hear a constant loud roar of the fans cheering on the Cyclones.

Jack’s legacy started when Jack and his fellow football players were in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a football game the next day.  Jack was staying in a separate hotel than his team due to his ethnicity. During the second play of the game in Minneapolis Jack’s collar bone was broken.  He insisted he was fine and continued to play.  During the third quarter of the game he took another hard hit and was removed from the game and taken to a Minneapolis hospital.  He was later released and traveled home to Ames.  Two days later Jack died due to a hemorrhaged lung and internal bleeding caused form his injuries in the game.

The stadium on Iowa State’s campus was originally called Cyclone Stadium and the field was named Jack Trice field. The students of Iowa State University wanted to do more for the legacy of Jack to be known.  They raised money for a statue of Jack to be placed at the entrance of the stadium.  Finally, in 1995 the whole stadium officially became Jack Trice Stadium.

Jack Trice stadium is the second newest stadium in the Big 12 conference.  The stadium is made of two layers of grandstand, bleachers behind the south end zone, and hillside seats on the corners holding nearly 55,000 fans.  Erin Wissink spoke about the stadium saying, “The hillside seats are a unique part of the stadium.  No matter where you look there is a sea of red inside the stadium.” At the north end zone is the Richard O. Jacobsen Athletic Building.  The stadium’s press box is located above the west grand stand. The first score board was put up in 2002 at the south end, and a second was added in 2011 above the athletic building to the north.

“We are one” is the saying that all Cyclone fans say no matter where they are cheering from.  The group as a whole has so much pride and believes in traditions and legacies.  We all honor Jack Trice and what he gave to be a Cyclone.  His statue still stands to the north of the stadium for everyone to honor as the enter Jack Trice Stadium.