Nick Kolinsky (1984) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Nick Kolinsky

Induction:
1984

Sometimes to be a successful football player, you have to be a little crazy. Talent is important of course, but so is the ability to sort of detach you from everything else and totally throw yourself into the moment of the game.
   Nick Kolinsky was that type of player. One who had the skills and the abilities to play the game at its highest levels, but who on occasion could let himself go and be a little crazy.
   It was that craziness that set Kolinsky apart from some of his calmer teammates, but it was also that craziness that allowed him to help motivate the team and provide great leadership during the 1961 through 1963 seasons.
   Kolinsky was a two way guard for Coach Pie Vann and on the two teams that he played on the teams recorded a 22-5-1 record. Seven times those teams scored 30 or more points and eleven times they recorded shutouts.
   He began his career at Southern Miss after a highly successful prep career at McKees Rock, Pennsylvania. Then after playing with the freshman team in 1960, he made impressive strides during 1961 spring practice and by the start of the season had earned a starting role.
   As a starter at guard on that 1961 team, Kolinsky had a hand in leading the team to an 8-2 record, with the two losses coming by just a total of 15 points. On defensive the team limited the opponents to just 197.0 yards a game and an average of 6.8 points per contest. Meanwhile Southern rolled to 320.3 yards a game, including 226.0 yards per game on the ground.
   The 1962 team with Kolinsky solidly entrenched in the starting lineup would go on to captured the UPI College Division national championship by posting a 9-1 record, with its only loss a two point decision to Memphis. On offense the team was one of the most productive in recent years as they averaged 343.5 yards a game and averaging 26.5 points, while on defense they held the opposition to just 6.7 points per game and 170.5 yards a game. With Kolinsky anchoring the line Southern remained one of the best running teams in the country (220.9 yards a game) and one of the toughest to run on (81.7 yards a game).
   1963 was Kolinsky’s third season as a regular and he again had a huge role in the success of the team. Although this team didn’t have some of the firepower of the teams the past two season, buoyed by a strong defense they would go on to post a 5-3-1 record.
   The 1963 defense allowed only 6.4 points per game and 118.1 yards a game to finish among the nation’s leaders, while on offense Kolinsky was a part of a Southern attack that averaged 201.7 yards a game.
   Nick Kolinsky will be remembered for all his craziness and his antics on and off the football field, but it was his skills on the football field and his determination to go all out, all the time that endeared him to Southern Miss fans.