Sad news to post on this Sunday for Northern Michigan University (NMU) and Michigan State football fans as former National Champion football coach Carl ‘Buck’ Nystrom has passed away at the age of 88.

Born and raised in Marquette, Nystrom played football at Gravaret High School, then went on to be captain and Most Valuable Player of the Michigan State’s 1956 Rose Bowl team. Then-MSU Head Coach Hugh ‘Duffy’ Daughtery referred Nystrom as the ‘greatest guard he had ever coached.’

After a brief stint being drafted in the 30th round by the NFL’s Washington Football Team, Nystrom would go on to be assistant coach for three National Championship teams. Schools that won titles under Nystrom’s leadership were North Dakota State (1965), Oklahoma (1968), and NMU (1975).

Nystrom was inducted to the Michigan State Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and also to the NMU Sports Hall of Fame. His son, Kyle Nystrom, is the current head coach for the NMU Wildcats.

We will update this post when more information about Nystrom’s passing becomes available.

**Photo Courtesy: NMU’s the North Wind**

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