Athlete
A three sport athlete at Minden High School, “Hilly” really excelled in football and basketball. In his senior year the Whippets had an undefeated football season and team captain “Hilly” was selected as All State Honorable Mention as a running back. Basketball was probably his big sport, he was picked on the Class B All State Team as a junior and the All Class All State Team as a senior. Minden basketball teams won 62 and only lost 4 during his four years in high school. During his junior and senior years he averaged 20 points per game. The Lincoln Journal Star picked “Hilly” as a Top Ten Athlete in 1952. Going on to Hastings College he started in football and basketball all four years he was there. He received many awards during is college career. The Edgar Larson Memorial Trophy for Lineman of the Year ’55, All Conference End ’54 and ’55, Honorable Mention Little All American in football ’54, Bill Carriker Award for Outstanding Lineman in the NCC ’55, NCC All Conference ’54,’55,’56 in basketball, Third Team NAIA Basketball All-American ’56, top candidate for the World Herald State College Athlete of the Year ’56. Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce also named him the Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1955. His college career scoring of 1,775 points gave him the school record at that time. Hastings College Hall of Fame in 1990.
