Gordon Locke Gordon C . Locke ( August 3 , 1898 – November 9 , 1969 ) was an American football player and coach . He played college football at the University of Iowa , where he was a two - time All - American . Locke served as the head football coach at Western Reserve University — now a part of Case Western Reserve University — from 1926 to 1930 , compiling a record of 15 – 20 – 1 . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1960 . Early life and playing career . Locke was born in Denison , Iowa . He enrolled at University of Iowa in 1919 and played for the Hawkeye football team from 1920 to 1922 . Locke , a fullback and defensive back , was the power back for the Hawkeyes while quarterback Aubrey Devine , used speed to rush to the outside . In Locke ' s sophomore season in 1920 , Iowa started the year with a 2 – 2 record . Locke did not lose another game as Hawkeye . Locke and Devine each scored two touchdowns as Iowa defeated Minnesota in 1920 , 28 – 7 . It was Iowa ' s third straight win over the Gophers and the first time that Minnesota had been defeated three years in a row by a single opponent . The following year in 1921 , Iowa faced Notre Dame , coached by Knute Rockne , in the second game of the season . It was Iowa ' s first meeting with Notre Dame . The Irish had not lost a game since 1918 , a span of 20 straight wins . Locke helped move Iowa to Notre Dame ' s two - yard line , where it was fourth down . Duke Slater missed a rare block , and Locke was met by Notre Dame lineman Heartley Anderson . Locke powered Anderson over the goal line for Iowa ' s only touchdown of the game . Locke ' s touchdown coupled with a Devine field goal gave Iowa the 10 – 7 upset . Locke ' s next game was his best of the 1921 season . He carried the ball 37 times and gained a school - record 202 yards rushing in a 14 – 2 victory over Illinois . Locke scored both Iowa touchdowns . However , he was soon hospitalized with stomach problems , which hampered his effectiveness the rest of the year . Still , Locke finished the 1921 season with over 700 rushing yards and finished second in the Big Ten Conference scoring race to teammate , Aubrey Devine . Iowa posted a perfect 7 – 0 record in 1921 and won its first Big Ten title in 21 years . Locke was a consensus first team All - Big Ten selection and a first team All - American in 1921 . 1922 season . Aubrey Devine , his brother Glenn , Lester Belding , and Duke Slater all graduated after the 1921 season . Locke returned to the defending Big Ten champions and was named the team captain of the 1922 Hawkeyes squad . Locke did not score a point in Iowa ' s most impressive win of the year . Iowa traveled east to play Yale , who had never lost to a team from the " West " . The Hawkeyes defeated the Bulldogs , 6 – 0 , on a touchdown run by Leland Parkin , who succeeded Devine at quarterback . Iowa ' s victory made headlines from coast to coast . So significant and important was the game that the Sunday " Chicago Tribune " bannered the front page of its general news sections with " IOWA ELEVEN SMASHES YALE . " Weary from the long train ride back to Iowa City , Iowa survived a contest with Illinois , winning 8 – 7 . Locke scored Iowa ' s only touchdown in the game . The following week , he scored two touchdowns as Iowa handed Purdue a 56 – 0 loss , still the largest defeat in Purdue history . Locke then scored three touchdowns in the first half as Iowa defeated Minnesota for the fifth consecutive time , 28 – 14 . In Iowa ' s first - ever meeting with Ohio State , Locke rushed for 126 yards and returned three kicks for 91 yards as Iowa defeated the Buckeyes in Columbus , 12 – 9 . He also scored both of Iowa ' s touchdowns . In Locke ' s final collegiate game against Northwestern , he scored four touchdowns for the third time in his career , leading Iowa to a 37 – 3 victory . The win clinched another Big Ten title and another undefeated 7 – 0 record for the Hawkeyes . It is the only time in school history that the Hawkeyes have won consecutive conference titles . With Devine gone , Locke not only led Iowa in scoring with 96 points , but the 72 points scored by Locke in Big Ten play in 1922 was a conference record that stood for 21 years . Locke was not only a first team All - Big Ten selection , he was also a consensus first team All - American , the third at Iowa after his former teammates Belding and Devine . Locke had over 400 carries in his career . Iowa had a 19 – 2 record in his three years with the Hawks and were on a 17 - game winning streak when he graduated . The streak was snapped at 20 games in 1923 , the longest winning streak in school history . Locke played for the only two undefeated and untied teams in Iowa history ( 1921 and 1922 ) , and he was a first team All - American both seasons . Locke was also an accomplished student , earning the Big Ten Medal for scholastic and athletic achievement his senior year . He also attended law school at the University of Iowa College of Law , graduating in the top three of his law school class . Coaching career and legal practice . Locke served as an assistant football coach at Iowa briefly , then moved on to Cleveland , Ohio , where he was associated with a prominent law firm . He coached football at Western Reserve University in Cleveland from 1926 to 1930 , compiling a 15 – 20 – 1 record , and he later served as general assistant law director for the city of Cleveland . Later , he worked in Washington , D . C . as general counsel for the Committee for Oil Pipe Lines . Death and honors . Locke died in Washington , D . C . at the age of 71 . He was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1958 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 . In 1989 , Iowa fans selected an all - time Hawkeyes football team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football , and Locke was selected to the defensive backfield . In 1999 , " Sports Illustrated " selected Gordon Locke as the 20th greatest sports figure in the history of the state of Iowa .