The man who is arguably the greatest athlete in the 89-year history of NIU athletics was laid to rest in St. Mary’s Cemetery in DeKalb yesterday.

Reino Nori, whose nickname was “The Flying Finn,” died at the age of 75 Saturday at DeKalb’s Kishwaukee Community Hospital.

His memory, however, will survive because of the many records that bear his name.

Nori, who played under legendary NIU coach and athletic director George G. “Chick” Evans in the early 1930s, is the only athlete in the history of NIU ahtletics to earn 17 varsity letters.

Nori lettered one year in wrestling and four years each in football, basketball, baseball and track. He was the first Huskie, or “fighting Prof” as they were called in the 1930s, to play in the National Football League.

Nori played for the Detroit Lions in 1936, the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937 and the Chicago Bears in 1938.

During his stint with the Bears, Nori played alongside such legendary players as Bronko Nagurski, Ray Nolting and Joe Stydahar.

This would not be such a tremendous feat if it were not for the fact that Nori stood approximately 5-foot-6 and weighed no more than 160 pounds at the time.

Robert J. Brigham, special assistant for compliance and eligibility for NIU, played halfback for the Huskies under Evans and assistant coach Nori after “The Flying Finn” retired from professional football.

“Reino was tiny,” Brigham said. “He was not a big guy. You would look at Reino and you’d never believe he could ever play professional football—especially quarterback.”

In college, Nori was used primarily at halfback, but his versatility and wealth of talent allowed Evans to use Nori at many positions.

“He was fast, and he could do everything,” Brigham said. “He could pass, punt—he could do it all. He was just a gifted athlete.”

Nori’s 99-yard touchdown run against Wisconsin-Whitewater on Nov. 17, 1934, still resides at the top of the list of Huskie scampers from scrimmage.

With less than a minute and a half remaining in the game, and “the DeKalb Teachers” (as they were also known) leading 7-0, UW-W downed a punt on the NIU one-yard line.

NIU lined up to punt the ball out of the shadow of its own goal line. But Nori spotted a hole in the middle of the Wisconsin line and reacted to it.

The Nov. 18, 1934 edition of the DeKalb Daily Chronicle described it this way: “(Nori) shifted his hips, ducked along the sideline and evaded the five would-be tacklers, hitting the open field at about the 50-yard line and outdistancing all the Whitewater men to the goal.”

Nori also holds the single-game (35 points), single-season (101 points) and career (204 points) scoring records.

Mike Corcek, NIU sports information director, said Nori’s records are particularly noteworthy because of the difference between the game in the 1930s and today.

“Those records that he still holds are amazing,” Korcek said. “Especially when you think about the fact that they played on grass (in the ‘30s) and now they play on Astroturf.”

Nori, a DeKalb native, was an all-conference guard in basketball in 1935-36 and an all-conference broad jump champion in 1934.

A third baseman on the NISTC baseball team, Nori would find ways to participate in track and baseball even though the two seasons conflicted.

“We heard stories about how he would run at a track meet and then go play baseball all in the same day,” Brigham said.

Reino Nori may not be here in body, but his spirit will remain at NIU forever.