MARQUETTE — Carl W. “Buck” Nystrom, an area resident who had a number of brushes with both big-time and Upper Peninusla football, died Saturday evening after a short illness at age 88, according to a death notice published in The Mining Journal on Tuesday.

Nystrom has been inducted into at least four sports hall of fames — the U.P. Sports Hall in 1975, North Dakota State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, the Northern Michigan University Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Michigan State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

After earning all-state honors as a fullback at Graveraet High School in Marquette, he first hit the big time as a player at Michigan State in the mid-1950s.

He earned First Team All-America honors and was the Spartans’ MVP as a senior in 1955, then captained that same team to the 1956 Rose Bowl win over UCLA, 17-14.

In this undated photo, Buck Nystrom, left, and Chuck Fairbanks share a friendly moment. Nystrom was an assistant football coach for Fairbanks when the latter was a head coach at both Oklahoma and Colorado universities. Fairbanks started his coaching career at Ishpeming High School and died in 2013 at age 79. (Journal file photo)

Nystrom also earned the Big 10’s Conference Medal for combined scholastic and athletic proficiency as a senior. He earned his bachelor’s degree at MSU and master’s at both NMU and North Dakota State.

He played in the Senior Bowl and was selected by Washington in the 30th round of the NFL draft in 1956.

He spent 38 years as a college coach, including six years at MSU and about 10 years during two stints at NMU, along with positions at Colorado, North Dakota State and Oklahoma. With the Wildcats he was an assistant in 1975, the year NMU won the NCAA Division II national championship. He also was a part of national championships at North Dakota State in 1965 and Oklahoma in 1968.

His son, Kyle Nystrom, is in his fourth season as head coach of the Wildcats football team, and has said he caught the football bug when his father was with the Northern program in the mid-1970s.

Buck Nystrom had continued to run his Coach Buck’s Football Camp until recent years when he was well into his 80s. He was also involved in Special Olympics, the March of Dimes and several other charitable organizations.

From left, Sean O'Donnell, chairman of Trim the Tree, presents the Honorary Chair Award to Joan and Buck Nystrom of Marquette during the 23rd annual Trim the Tree for Special Olympics fund-raiser at the Holiday Inn during December 2005 in Marquette. (Journal file photo)

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.