Acker’s story amazing

If there could be a quintessential member of the Northern Illinois University Athletics Hall of Fame, two-time inductee George Acker would make that short list for obvious reasons.

The Dixon native, a former three-sport Huskie student-athlete, NIU coach, and nationally known tennis guru at Kalamazoo College, Acker, 82, died July 20 from complications after suffering a stroke. A celebration-of-life service for Acker was held at Kalamazoo College on July 31.

Of the approximately 190 individual men and women enshrined in the NIU Hall of Fame since 1978, maybe a handful enjoy instant, widespread recognition. For every Huskie household name like George Bork, Mark Kellar, Jim Bradley, or Kenny Battle, there might be 10 George Ackers – ex-athletes or coaches who utilized their NIU opportunities to the utmost as a career springboard.

Acker overachieved in the post-World War II forum known as the College Division in the days of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He earned Huskie varsity letters in football and tennis, plus played JV basketball as a freshman.

On the gridirion, Acker started at offensive guard and co-captained the 9-0 IIAC championship squad under Northern Illinois athletics patriarch George “Chick” Evans in 1951.

“George and [the late] Fran Cahill came from the same mold,” said NIU Hall of Fame teammate and ex-Little All-America quarterback Bob Heimerdinger. “Solid guys, fierce competitors, and perfect gentlemen. To survive as a 5-foot-10, 185-pound offensive guard in those days, you had to be a pretty intelligent guy. We had a bootleg play where the guard pulled, and that was George. He could run and block.”

In tennis, Acker was selected Huskie captain and played No. 1 singles as a junior and senior.

Acker’s non-verbal leadership skills spoke volumes – as a Huskie and as a coach at Kalamazoo College later in his career.

“George was not outspoken,” Heimerdinger said. “He just did things by example.”

Maybe the most significant aspect of Acker’s co-captaincy (with fellow guard Frank Bieber) in 1951 was the fact that Evans announced the award at the NIU postseason banquet. As the story goes, when coach Evans presented the IIAC championship trophy to his 1951 co-captains, Acker met his future wife, Nancy Clouston, at the same affair.

Considering the fact that the popular Acker garnered All-Century Team votes in both football and basketball during the university’s centennial observance in 2000, it was no surprise that he was installed in the NIU Hall of Fame in only its sixth induction class (1986) and as a member of the 1951 football squad a bit later (1991).

A 1946 graduate of Dixon High School, Acker worked two years before enrolling at NIU. He grew up four blocks from President Ronald Reagan’s former home in Dixon.

A two-time Northern Illinois graduate with a bachelor of science in education (1952) and a master of science in administration (1953), Acker served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before returning as the Huskies’ head men’s tennis coach and JV football boss in 1955-57. During 1957-58, he taught and coached at Rich Township High School in Park Forest (now Rich East).

Here’s where the Acker success story turns into ex-offensive-guard-becomes-national-tennis-coach. In December 1958, he joined the Kalamazoo College faculty – and the rest is documented history.

In 35 seasons, Acker led the Hornet tennis team to seven NCAA DIvision III team championships (1976, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1991-93), plus six national singles titles and three in doubles. His teams won Michigan Intercollegaite Athletic Association titles and posted a 537-231-2 record in dual meets (209-1 in MIAC duals).

Acker was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year (1982, 1991) and Division III Coach of the Decade (1990). He wore other K-College hats – serving as a football assistant (1959-68), head wrestling coach (1959-72), and head men’s cross-country coach (1986-88) prior to retirement.

In addition to the NIU Hall of Fame, Acker has been similarly honored by Kalamazoo College, the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association, and the Western Tennis Association. With his wife and four daughters active in the sport, the entire Acker entourage was selected the WTA (1973) and U.S. Lawn Tennis Association Family of the Year (1974).

Kalamazoo College bestowed its highest faculty award to him for “outstanding teaching” (1986), and the KC Alumni Association followed with another honor for “invaluable contributions” to the community (1991).

There’s a reason that Heimerdinger – a proud man with his own storied background as an athlete, coach, and administrator in this community and from a strong sports family in its own right – called me on Acker’s passing this week.

“People need to know about George Acker and remember his many, many accomplishments,” he said. “He was a good man.”

Acker is survived by his wife, his sister, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Kalamazoo College has established a George Acker Memorial Scholarship Fund in his honor.

• Mike Korcek is a former Northern Illinois University sports information director.