Football Prasse played the
end position. Iowa struggled in his first two varsity football seasons, compiling a 2–13–1 record spanning
1937 and
1938. Prasse was an All-
Big Ten selection as a junior in 1938, and he was elected captain of the Hawkeye football squad in 1939. ;1939 season In Iowa's Big Ten conference-opening game, Prasse set an
Iowa Stadium record by catching three touchdown passes from
Nile Kinnick in a 32–29 victory. His third and final touchdown catch came on fourth down with only minutes remaining in the game. His three touchdown catches remained an Iowa Stadium record until 2005, when Ed Hinkel caught four touchdowns in a game against Minnesota. The Hawkeyes finished the year with a 6–1–1 record and were ranked ninth in the country. While Prasse's teammate, Kinnick, won the
Heisman Trophy, Prasse was named a
second-team All-American by
United Press International. Prasse was selected by the
Detroit Lions in the
1940 NFL draft (11th round, 96th overall) but never ended up playing in the league. He was inducted into the
University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in its first year in 1989. In 1989, Iowa fans selected an all-time University of Iowa football team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football, and Prasse was an honorable mention selection.
Basketball During the winters at Iowa, Prasse competed for the school's
men's basketball team. He earned three varsity letters (1938–1940). After college, he played in the NBL for the Oshkosh All-Stars for parts of the 1940–41 and 1941–42 seasons, winning championships in both, before having to fight in
World War II. When the war ended he returned to professional basketball, once again competing for the All-Stars in part of the 1945–46 season.
Baseball After completing his collegiate career at Iowa, Prasse played two years of professional baseball within the St. Louis Cardinals' organization as a
second baseman and
third baseman. In 1940 he competed for the
Asheville Tourists of the
Piedmont League and the
Springfield Cardinals of the
Western Association. In 1941 he again competed for the Asheville Tourists. His baseball career ended due to an injury sustained during World War II in which his throwing arm was shot. During his 189-game career, Prasse compiled a .240 batting average and hit 10 home runs. ==Personal==