Jim Kiick - College Career

College Career

After high school, Kiick went west and played college football at Wyoming from 1965 through 1967, and was the Cowboys' leading rusher each of those years. He totalled 1,714 yards and ten touchdowns on 431 carries, and 561 yards and five touchdowns on 52 pass receptions. He was the first player ever to earn first-team All-WAC honors three times. As a junior, he was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1966 Sun Bowl win over Florida State, rushing 25 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns, and catching four passes for 42 yards. Kiick was co-captain of the team as a senior and led undefeated Wyoming to the 1968 Sugar Bowl against LSU, where he rushed 19 times for 75 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 48 yards. Wyoming led 13–0 at halftime, but was outplayed in the second half and lost 20–13. Kiick played in the Senior Bowl, and was selected to play in the 1968 College All-Star Game, where he first met Csonka. (In a foreshadowing of things to come, they went out drinking every night.) Although Csonka would be named the All-Stars' Most Valuable Player, Kiick never got into the game. He showed up at the All-Stars' training camp out of shape, and the All-Stars' coach, ex-NFL quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, decided he had a bad attitude and benched him.