Alexander Arrasi Agase was an American football player and coach. Agase was born in Evanston, Illinois to an Assyrian father and an Armenian mother. He graduated from Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois. Agase played college football at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. Agase starred as a guard for Illinois in 1941 and 1942. In a 1942 game against the University of Minnesota, Agase scored two touchdowns for the Fighting Illini, becoming only the second guard in college football to score two touchdowns in a single game. That year, Agase was named All-American... for the first time. In 1943, Agase played at Purdue while a Marine trainee, and was again named All-American. In 1944 and 1945, Agase served on active duty in World War II, including participating in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa where he received a Purple Heart for being wounded in action. He returned to Illinois in 1946 and was again named All-American, and also received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten Conference. Agase moved to professional football, playing six seasons between 1947 and 1953.
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