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Alex Agase:

By an anonymous Assyrian Sports Columnist Forwarded by Mr. Paul D. Newey of Chicago, IL.

Alex Agase is without doubt the first Assyrian to gain fame as an athlete in the United States of America. Agase was born and raised in Evanston, IL. and went to the University of Illinois in 1941 where he became one of the greatest guards in Big Ten history. He has the rare distinction of becoming an all-American at two Big Ten schools.

Agase made All-America at Illinois in 1942 and made headlines in the third game of that season. He caused and recovered two fumbles for touchdowns to lead underdog Illinois,to 20-13 victory over a Minnesota team that had won the last two national championships.

World War II interrupted his career somewhat. He was sent to O.C.S (Officer Candidate School)at Purdue where he played football while earning his commission and was again named all-American in 1943. After receiving his commission as lieutenant, he was sent to the Pacif ic Theater of War. He engaged in the battle of Okinawa where he won a Purple Heart among his other medals.

After the war, he returned to Illinois to complete his education. this time he not only made All-America, but was selected as the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player while leading the Illinois to the Big Ten championship in 1946.

With that title came a bid to the Rose Bowl, the first in the new contract between the Big Ten and the Pac Ten. UCLA was the Pac Ten Champion. The Bruins did not to play Illinois, they felt they'd rather play No. 1 ranked Army for a chance at the national championship.

They were lucky they didn't play Army. Illinois walloped UCLA 45-14. Also on that Illinois team was another Agase, Alex's younger brother Louis. Alex and Lou were instrumental in the win as were other greats such as Buddy Young, Julie Bykovich, Perry Moss Ruck Steger.

After College, Alex played pro ball with the Cleveland Browns before going into coaching. He teamed up with Ara Parseghian and together they revived the Northwestern program in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ara left Northwestern for Notre Dame and Alex was the head coach at the Evanston school from 1964 through 1972. His 1970 and 1971 teams finished second in the Big Ten. He returned to pursue as head coach from 1973-1976. After that he was athletic director at Eastern Michigan for five years and then as an assistant coach at Michigan befor the 1947 Illinois team after Alex had graduated and then became an assistant coach at Illinois. Lou also served as a head coach for Toronto in the Canadian Football League.

There was still another Agase brother who was a fine athlete, a left handed pitcher at the University of Illinois who was signed by the Philadelpia Phillies but suffered an arm injury in the minor league and had to give up the game.

The Agase Athletes .... A fine Assyrian tradition.