MVP: Most Valuable Pig — The Story of the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy

MVP: Most Valuable Pig — The Story of the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy

By Denis M. Crawford, College Football Hall of Fame Historian

*Second in a four-part series on rivalry trophies

A live prize-hog was at stake when Iowa and Minnesota met in 1935. But this was no silly wager between the schools. The hog was an attempt by the governors of both states to turn down the temperature on a rivalry that had become too heated and brutal. Today a stand-in for that hog has become one of the most popular trophies in college football and will once again go to the winner of this weekend’s Iowa-Minnesota game.

A Violent Origin

Ozzie Simmons was an Iowa halfback (1934-36) and a chief Hawkeye weapon. The young Black player from Texas quickly made his presence felt early in the 1934 season. He ran for 166 yards against Northwestern and also returned a kick for a touchdown. When Minnesota played Iowa on October 28, the Golden Gophers focused their defensive attention on Simmons and went way too far in their physical approach. Late hits and unnecessary roughness such as punching and kicking led to Simmons losing consciousness three times in the game. Referees did not call any penalties for these actions, leading credence to the belief that Simmons was being singled out for brutality because of the color of his skin.

The next year, Iowans intimated that if Simmons or any Hawkeye was treated similarly in the 1935 game, vengeance would be sought. According to research done by Iowa reporter Tom Snee, Iowa governor Clyde Herring warned that “if officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used last year, I’m sure the crowd won’t.” Minnesota head coach Benny Bierman viewed this as a veiled threat of violence against his players and threatened to pull out of future games.

The Wager

Trying to tamp down the passion, Minnesota governor Floyd Olson offered a friendly wager to his fellow governor. “If you seriously think Iowa has any chance to win, I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog that Minnesota wins,” wrote Olson. “The loser must deliver the hog in person to the winner. Accept my bet through a reporter. You are getting odds because Minnesota raises better hogs than Iowa”

Herring publicly accepted and much of the focus going into the game shifted from recrimination and violence to the wager. Minnesota won the rematch in a hard-fought but relatively clean 13-6 contest.

Why Floyd of Rosedale?

Herring delivered to Olson’s office a hog from Rosedale Farms in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The farm named the hog “Floyd” after Governor Olson. While the fate of most prize-hogs is the dinner table, Floyd lived for a year on a farm in Minnesota in peace until a hog cholera epidemic claimed him.

Sadly, Governor Olson also succumbed to illness, dying of stomach cancer in August 1936. Before he passed however, Olson commissioned St. Paul, MN artist Charles Brioschi to sculpt a likeness of the prize-hog. Ever since, the statue has been known as “Floyd of Rosedale” to commemorate Governor Olson and the Iowa farm which produced the first trophy in this long-standing rivalry.

Do Not Forget the Reason for Floyd of Rosedale

Floyd of Rosedale is arguably the most popular trophy in the Big Ten. Even when Minnesota and Iowa are at their lowest and irrelevant in the conference and playoff picture, national coverage of the awarding of the trophy is an annual rite of autumn. However, it should not be forgotten that the reason for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy is an example of some of the worst actions in college football history. The treatment Ozzie Simmons received should not be discounted or excused because of the beloved trophy that resulted. This weekend, enjoy the Iowa-Minnesota game and have fun watching the excitement as either the Hawkeyes or Golden Gopher players sprint around the field with a bronze hog high above their heads. Just take a moment to remember Ozzie Simmons and what he had to go through also.