GRINNELL COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pioneer Football Featured in Grinnell Magazine

Friday, August 9, 2013

Pioneer Football Featured in Grinnell Magazine

Brian Westerlind '12 #33 with his fellow defensive linemen at Macalester in September, 2011

Former Pioneer Brian Westerlind '12 was featured in the Observations section (page 15) of the Summer 2013 issue of Grinnell Magazine. His letter, titled Pioneer Football: It has made me who I am is a great testament to the many benefits of participating in varsity athletics at Grinnell, and football in particular.

Westerlind began his Pioneer career as a tight end and moved to the defensive side of the ball for his Junior and Senior seasons. He was in the midst of a productive senior season as a defensive end when he suffered a broken leg midway through the season. Brian's attitude in recovering from the injury and subsequent surgeries was admirable, as was the leadership and coaching he provided for younger players on the defensive line. A recipient of the Florence Smith Sifferd '30 Science Scholarship and the James Walter Rosenfield Scholarship, Westerlind is now a medical researcher for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Thanks for the great letter Brian!

The Honor G

The Honor G, the official emblem of Grinnell College athletics, was first used at the Iowa state track championship in 1892. Designed by Earnest "Skip" Atherton, class of 1895, the original Honor G consisted of a scarlet maltese cross with a black "I and "C" (for Iowa College) superimposed on the cross. Two years later in 1894, the "I" and "C" were replaced by a black gothic "G", and the modern day Honor G was born. The gothic "G", which was also used on letter sweaters and is now used on letter jackets, was replaced by an Old English "G" in the mid-1930's. After some protest, it was quickly changed back to the gothic "G", and it has remained unchanged since that time.