Bill Winneshiek
William Phineus Winneshiek, also spelled Winneshick and referred to as NahiSonwahika, was a professional football player who played in the National Football League during the 1922 season, at age 37. That season, he joined the NFL's Oorang Indians. The Indians were a team based in LaRue, Ohio, composed only of Native Americans, and coached by Jim Thorpe. Bill was a member of the Ho-Chunk or Winnebago tribe.
He was stolen from his tribe and forced to attend Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. His hair was shaved and he was physically punished for speaking his native language. He found friendship with Jim Thorpe. In addition to playing with the NFL, Bill was an Assistant Football Coach at Lebanon Valley College, a professional musician in Chief Winneshiek's All Indian Band, and traveled to the Antarctic with Admiral Byrd. He later married Marie Marguerite Zerbe, an elementary school teacher. The two had a son, named William Sherwood Winneshiek, who would later fly 49 B-17 missions over Germany during World War II and culminating his military as Director of Communications at NORAD in Colorado Springs, CO. They also had a daughter, Doris Winona Winneshiek who became a nurse and writer.
