Editing Bronko Nagurski (section)

==Later life and legacy==
In early February 1944, Nagurski was summoned by the [[United States Army]] for service.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bismarck-tribune-bronko-naguski-gets/155257547/|title=Bronko Naguski Gets Army Call|agency=[[Associated Press|AP]]|newspaper=[[The Bismarck Tribune]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 1, 1944|access-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref> The [[United Press]] remarked "Gen. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] can stop worrying" if Nagurski were to join as "the general will have a one-man army on his team," while the Army should "just armor-plate him—call his number—and follow him to Berlin."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-human-tank-ready-for-th/155257595/|title=Human tank ready for the U.S. Army if Nagurski passes|agency=[[United Press|UP]]|newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 2, 1944|access-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref> After a three-day physical examination at [[Fort Snelling]], the Army ruled him medically unfit due to injuries sustained during his football career.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-nagurski-for-army/155258797/|title=Nagurski for Army|agency=[[Associated Press|AP]]|newspaper=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 10, 1944|access-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mccook-daily-gazette-bronko-nagurski/155258816/|title=Bronko Nagurski Has Army Rejection; His Football Too Rugged|agency=[[United Press|UP]]|newspaper=[[McCook Daily Gazette]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 12, 1944|access-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Cullum|first=Dick|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/minneapolis-daily-times-no-need-to-warn/155258825/|title=No Need to Warn 1944 Glovers Not To Try Pro Game|newspaper=[[Minneapolis Daily Times]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 12, 1944|access-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref>

Following his retirement from wrestling, he returned home to International Falls and opened a [[filling station|service station]].<ref name=tankwolf/> A local legend claims that Nagurski had the best repeat business in town because he would screw customers' gas caps on so tightly after filling their tanks that no one else in town could unscrew them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2010/1/29/1272417/taking-a-look-in-the-bears-history |title=Taking a Look in the Bears History Book: Bronko Nagurski |date=January 29, 2010 |first=Ashley |last=Czuba |work=Windy City Gridiron}}</ref> He retired from that in 1978, at the age of seventy, and lived out a quiet life on the shores of [[Rainy Lake]] on the Canada–U.S. border.

Nagurski performed the coin toss for [[Super Bowl XVIII]] in [[Tampa, Florida]], in 1984. [[1983 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]] quarterback and co-captain [[Joe Theismann]] called the toss on behalf of his team's co-captains and the captains of the opposing [[1983 Los Angeles Raiders season|Los Angeles Raiders]].

On January 7, 1990, Nagurski died of cardiac arrest in International Falls, Minnesota, and is buried at its Forest Hill Cemetery.<ref name="NYTObit"/>

===Honors===
Nagurski was elected to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] as a charter member on September 7, 1963. At the [[University of Minnesota]] house of his fraternity, [[Sigma Chi]], Nagurski's jersey and Significant Sig recognition certificate are on display. After his death, the town of International Falls honored him by opening the Bronko Nagurski Museum in Smokey Bear Park.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rainylake.org/thingstodo.html |title=Rainy Lake - International Falls, Minnesota - Home of Voyageurs National Park, Grand Mound History Center, Koochiching County Historical Museum, Bronko Nagurski Museum, Smokey Bear Park, International Bridge of Canada, Boise Cascade |access-date=January 19, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131090915/http://rainylake.org/thingstodo.html |archive-date=January 31, 2009}}</ref>

''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' named Nagurski one of the four greatest athletes in Minnesota state history; the other three were [[Dave Winfield]], [[Kevin McHale (basketball)|Kevin McHale]], and [[Joe Mauer]]. In 1993, the [[Football Writers Association of America]] created the [[Bronko Nagurski Trophy]], awarded annually to the best defensive player in college football. Notable winners include [[Warren Sapp]], [[Charles Woodson]], [[Terrell Suggs]], [[Champ Bailey]] and [[Derrick Johnson]]. In 1999 Nagurski was selected by ''Sports Illustrated'' as a starting defensive tackle for their "NCAA Football All-Century Team". The other starting defensive tackle on that list was [[Rich Glover]]. In 2007, Nagurski was ranked No. 17 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.

In 1999, he was ranked No. 35 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking foreign-born player. In 2000, he was voted the second-greatest Minnesotan sportsman of the 20th century by the sportswriters of the ''[[Star Tribune]]'', coming in behind only [[Minnesota Twins]] [[Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[Kirby Puckett]].

A fictionalized eyewitness account of Nagurski's 1943 comeback is the subject of a dramatic monologue in the 2001 film version of ''[[Hearts in Atlantis (film)|Hearts in Atlantis]].'' The film's screenwriter, [[William Goldman]], repeated much of this rendition from his earlier account of the same story in his novel ''[[Magic (novel)|Magic]].'' 

In 2002, he was ranked 90 out of 100 wrestlers for [[Dave Meltzer]]'s Top 100 Wrestlers of All Time.  

In 2009, Nagurski was an honorary team captain, represented by his son, [[Bronko Nagurski Jr.]], at the opening game of [[TCF Bank Stadium]]. His home town's International Falls high school is nicknamed the Broncos in his honor.

In September 2021, he was inducted into the National Polish-American Hall of Fame, housed in Troy, Michigan.