Nick Bassett, Iowa State fan who inspired and whose story was featured on ESPN's 'College GameDay,' dies at 29
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Iowa State football fan Nick Bassett’s special story inspired an entire fan base, the Cyclones football team and was featured on an ESPN "College GameDay" broadcast last year.
Bassett, who had both of legs amputated in May 2021, was determined to get back to Jack Trice Stadium in the fall of 2021. In the process, he struck up a friendship with Iowa State coach Matt Campbell and became a symbol of perseverance for Cyclone athletics.
Bassett, whose complications from a lifelong battle with scoliosis were detailed in a Des Moines Register profile last summer, died Thursday at the age of 29, his mother, Ann, told the Register.
The Boone, Iowa, native was among Iowa State’s most inspiring fans. Bassett, a longtime football season ticket holder, dealt with heath issues since he was about 2. That's when doctors discovered a spinal cord tumor and diagnosed him with scoliosis. By high school, he was in a wheelchair.
Bassett, who had both legs amputated before the 2021 football season, vowed to make it back in his seats for the first football game of the year. That vow caught the attention of Campbell, who talked to Bassett before his surgery and visited him during his rehab process.
Like he set out to do, Bassett was back in the stands for the first game against Northern Iowa on Sept. 4, 2021.
Friday, I will be having an operation to amputate both my legs just above the knee. No clear line on recovery but my goal is to be healthy enough to watch @ISUMattCampbell and @CycloneFB at Jack Trice Stadium this fall. Two words keep racing through my mind..."I Will"
— 🌪Nicholas Bassett🌪 (@NicholasBasset3) May 26, 2021
His inspiring story didn't stop there. Campbell invited Bassett and his family to an Iowa State practice and had Bassett speak to the football team. The two stayed in contact since, and Campbell even left a recruiting visit to see Bassett in the hospital on Wednesday. Fans also continued to rally around Bassett with hundreds, including Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard and women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly, sending him well-wishes recently.
To Nick and his entire family! Thank you for allowing me to meet an amazing individual! The joy he had every time I was able to speak to him was wonderful! I was proud that I was able to keep the promise I made him last time we spoke! He is an inspiration to us all! @AnnBassett61
— GC4🐺 (@george_conditt) January 26, 2022
Iowa State sports became an outlet for Bassett during those tough times. Bassett, an avid fan of all Iowa State sports, was a frequent caller on local sports radio. During his interview with The Register last year, Bassett talked about how he hoped to visit Jack Trice Stadium one last time.
"I fantasize about when I die," Bassett said at the time. "I hope I get to meet my maker sitting in my season ticket spots and just sit there and look over the field for awhile and talk with my maker for awhile and just sit there and just take it all in before I go to the great beyond."
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State Cyclones fan Nick Bassett dies at age 29
