Bio

A standout athlete from Wichita Heights High School, John Hein settled on playing football at Cowley College in Arkansas City. He would not regret the decision as he ended up being a dominant force on the offensive line and will be among the five individuals inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on Jan. 31, 2015.

Hein was a member of the football, wrestling and track and field teams at Wichita Heights. He was an All-City League selection in football and was named All-State Class 6A at both the offensive and defensive tackle positions as a senior.

“I only came off the field at half-time and at the end of the game,” Hein said.

His stellar play led to his election to play in the 1979 Shrine Bowl. He also excelled as a member of the track and field team, establishing what was then a school-record in the shot put.

After high school, Hein decided to play football for Cowley head coach Jerry Boyce.

“All the big schools said I was too small for a lineman out of high school,” Hein said. “Coach Boyce said I could play and grow in junior college.”

And boy was he right! Hein was an offensive guard at Cowley. He earned all-conference honors both years at the school and was named an All-American as a sophomore.

With Hein anchoring the offensive line, Tiger quarterback Keith Bonney was able to put up school-record numbers in passing yards in a season (1,686 in 1980), passing yards in a game (297), passes completed in a game (23), touchdown passes in a career (15), and passes attempted in a career (492). The Tigers went 7-4 and were the Jayhawk Conference co-champions during the 1979 season and went 7-3 in 1980. Cowley earned the right to compete in Bowl games at the culmination of the 1979 and 1980 seasons.

“Our teams were like family. We would go into battle, not just play the game,” Hein said.

Hein was a workout wonder, setting the squat record (1,080 pounds) at the school during off season conditioning in 1980. Bob Juden, who was an assistant coach for the Tigers during Hein’s time at the school, recalls former Tiger great and NFL pro-bowler Johnny Rembert and John Hein squaring off against each other in practice. “It was like two bulls in an arena fighting,” Juden said.

When Hein was at Cowley there was a steak house named K-bobs that offered a free steak dinner during the football season for whoever received the "Hit-of-the-week" award. 

“I think I won eight weeks’ worth of dinners my sophomore year,” Hein said. “I loved to deliver "Slobber-Knockers" to opponents.”

Hein was nick-named "Johnrad" after Conrad Dobler, who was considered the meanest man in football back then.

“He wore a Fu-man-chu mustache, so I had to also,” Hein said.

Juden has fond memories of coaching Hein. “I have coached some great athletes, but John Hein was by far the greatest athlete I ever coached on the offensive line,” Bob Juden said. “He was a student of the game. He was big and athletic but you could also teach him the little things.”

Hein went on to sign with Tulane University. Although a knee injury cut short his playing career, he went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Sports Administration in 1984. After graduating from college, Hein moved back to Wichita and took a supervisory position at the meat packing plant where he had essentially grown up.

“I was going to coach and then become an Athletic Director, but after my career was cut short from the knee injury, I had a change of heart,” Hein said.

He spent the majority of his life in the meat industry until becoming a supervisor with Worthington Industries in Maize, Kansas more than nine years ago.

Hein is humbled and greatly honored to be going into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame.

“My time at Cowley was by far the most enjoyable, enlightening period of my life,” Hein said. “I wish there was still a football program. Of all the fine memories I have made during my life, 99 percent of them were made in Arkansas City, Kansas. I am eternally grateful.”

Although known as a ferocious football player, Juden said Hein had a heart of gold off the gridiron. “He was not only a two-time all-conference player and an All-American, he was a special person,” Juden said.