DJK on Vandenberg, 3rd WR for 2011

[hawkfaninTX]

So Kirk Herbsteit was in on the deal?

Dude is Iowa's all time leading receiver and probably one of the best all around players with a ball in his hand of my lifetime. He lived up to the hype.

Jon i was not calling into question whether or not he lived up to it, just that it was said amongst people close to him as a joke that he was known to get on and "stir the pot" about himself. I lived next to Him, Adrian, and Jacody for over a year. He definitely lived up to the hype that ALLEGEDLY he helped create was my only point. The anonymity of the internet is a powerful thing this day in age. I do not operate behind this, people who have read my posts know who I am. Will we ever know if opposing players or current players of our own come one here to post?

 

[Gibsonian]

Some responses to some of the comments in this thread:

On DJK - Nice kid, great talent. Got mixed up in partying, drugs. Many of us have/did. Loved the way he played. Alot of heart to go with the talent. We should all be wishing him success and thanking him for his efforts, however clouded, here at Iowa

On Vandy - Wienke cannot overtake him as starter unless he is injured. Not happening. He needed some reps/experience to fill him out. He's gotten some of that, and a very decent O line and decent starting schedule next year will allow him to get the addtl real game reps he needs. We will be very pleased with the offense next year, should he remain healthy.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

So Kirk Herbsteit was in on the deal?

Dude is Iowa's all time leading receiver and probably one of the best all around players with a ball in his hand of my lifetime. He lived up to the hype.

<<He lived up to the hype>>

Well...mostly. He had his down moments, as well, like not finishing routes, fighting for balls on INTs or short-arming/slowing up on some deep balls.

But...between DJK and McNutt, I can safely say they arte the tow best QB-to-WR "converts" I have seen in the JHK/KF Era. Clinton Solomon would be in that crowd, as well. In terms of "all-around" player, DJK is (JHF/KF Era) behind only Tim Dwight. Hinkel makes the list, too, and was probably on every level with DJK save top-end speed and general "elusiveness".

Speaking of Tim Dwight, how is he NOT among the Top 50 Big Ten "icons"? I guess that term really IS "relative"...

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

shoot yourself in the head

Derp.

 

[JonDMiller]

Jon i was not calling into question whether or not he lived up to it, just that it was said amongst people close to him as a joke that he was known to get on and "stir the pot" about himself. I lived next to Him, Adrian, and Jacody for over a year. He definitely lived up to the hype that ALLEGEDLY he helped create was my only point. The anonymity of the internet is a powerful thing this day in age. I do not operate behind this, people who have read my posts know who I am. Will we ever know if opposing players or current players of our own come one here to post?

The fact is Kirk Herbstreit said that while many were saying Beanie Wells was the best player in Ohio coming out that year, Herbie felt it might have been DJK...and Beanie was the #1 ranked prospect in the nation by some at that point. Herbie said that during the 2006 Big Ten media days

So no matter if DJK did anything to hype himself, Herbstreit's comments threw things into overdrive.

 

[hawkfaninTX]

Derp.

hopefully that is the sound your lifeless body makes hitting the ground.

 

[latrans]

You are wrong.

If people read this simply because it was something that DJK said and not related to the content of what he was saying then those people are stupid. That being said I'm starting to suspect rather strongly that my initial impression was mistaken.

 

[colbol9]

Dude is Iowa's all time leading receiver and probably one of the best all around players with a ball in his hand of my lifetime. He lived up to the hype.

DJK was actually best at getting open and then catching. He didn't have that many great yards after catch plays. His lateral quickness and juking was/is not his strong suit as a WR.

 

[tm3308]

DJK was actually best at getting open and then catching. He didn't have that many great yards after catch plays. His lateral quickness and juking was/is not his strong suit as a WR.

I can recall several plays where he made a big cut and broke into the open. Indiana TD, OSU kickoff return, and he made several on his near-kickoff return against ISU in 2007. Those are just off the top of my head.

 

[MJSCK]

The fact is Kirk Herbstreit said that while many were saying Beanie Wells was the best player in Ohio coming out that year, Herbie felt it might have been DJK...and Beanie was the #1 ranked prospect in the nation by some at that point. Herbie said that during the 2006 Big Ten media days

So no matter if DJK did anything to hype himself, Herbstreit's comments threw things into overdrive.

Regardless of what anybody's opinion is on DJK as a human, the guy was and is THE best WR Iowa has ever seen. No question. No doubt.

Records aside, no Iowa WR has, to date, possessed his combination of strength, agility, speed, vision, hands and size.

Get all over the guy if you want, but he was and is the best Hawkeye WR in history.

And don't blame the guy for creating buzz about himself. Ty Cobb, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods or any other premier athlete did or has done the same thing. You just may not like his style.

Whether he has the best judgment is another question but this isn't a website dedicated to analyzing moral turpitude.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

I can recall several plays where he made a big cut and broke into the open. Indiana TD, OSU kickoff return, and he made several on his near-kickoff return against ISU in 2007. Those are just off the top of my head.

So you remember three plays in four years where he made great open field moves? DJK was a very good reciever and a solid kick return but he was never one of those guys where you felt if he gets the ball in space he's going to break one. He was certainly nowhere near Tim Dwight or Tavian Banks when it came to making guys miss. Iowa has had very few of those big play players over the years. I think that's a big part of the reason we've had such pedestrian offenses the last several years.

 

[tm3308]

So you remember three plays in four years where he made great open field moves? DJK was a very good reciever and a solid kick return but he was never one of those guys where you felt if he gets the ball in space he's going to break one. He was certainly nowhere near Tim Dwight or Tavian Banks when it came to making guys miss. Iowa has had very few of those big play players over the years. I think that's a big part of the reason we've had such pedestrian offenses the last several years.

Like I said, those were off the top of my head, and that's because they were BIG plays. If I were able to rewatch every game of his career, I'm sure I could find some more plays where he made guys miss but didn't break the big one. Percy Harvin didn't score everytime he touched the ball.

And Dwight/Banks also had better top-end speed than DJK. That helped them make more big/exciting plays.

 

[colbol9]

I can recall several plays where he made a big cut and broke into the open. Indiana TD, OSU kickoff return, and he made several on his near-kickoff return against ISU in 2007. Those are just off the top of my head.

Not saying it didn't happen at all but the vast majority of his big plays were catch and fall down or get tackled. OSU does not count as run after catch.

 

[colbol9]

So you remember three plays in four years where he made great open field moves? DJK was a very good reciever and a solid kick return but he was never one of those guys where you felt if he gets the ball in space he's going to break one. He was certainly nowhere near Tim Dwight or Tavian Banks when it came to making guys miss. Iowa has had very few of those big play players over the years. I think that's a big part of the reason we've had such pedestrian offenses the last several years.

Well said. Dont forget CJ Jones as well.

 

[tm3308]

Not saying it didn't happen at all but the vast majority of his big plays were catch and fall down or get tackled. OSU does not count as run after catch.

So a player can only showcase open-field ability if he's catching a pass and running after the catch? If Devin Hester couldn't catch a ball to save his life, would that mean that he didn't have tremendous open-field skill?

 

[colbol9]

Like I said, those were off the top of my head, and that's because they were BIG plays. If I were able to rewatch every game of his career, I'm sure I could find some more plays where he made guys miss but didn't break the big one. Percy Harvin didn't score everytime he touched the ball.

And Dwight/Banks also had better top-end speed than DJK. That helped them make more big/exciting plays.

point is, you are wrong. DJK is/was my favorite player but he was never a RAC guy that scared defenders because he could shake them. What does Harvin have to do with anything we said?

 

[JHHawk]

Good info to hear. Iowa needs Vandy ,Keenan and K-Mart to come thru to have an explosive offense next year. If they do, Iowa can play in Indy come December for the title.

DJK? Great receiver at Iowa,who could do it all. And basically,not a bad person either,from all I know. Hope he gets his life together and stars at the NFL level.

 

[tm3308]

point is, you are wrong. DJK is/was my favorite player but he was never a RAC guy that scared defenders because he could shake them. What does Harvin have to do with anything we said?

Harvin had that tremendous lateral quickness (not to mention top-end speed), no? I agree that DJK's strength didn't lie in breaking the big play with move after move. But it's not like he had no shake. But even the guys who have it don't routinely break those plays. Harvin showcased his moves plenty of times on plays that didn't go for a TD (which is typically what makes such a play memorable). I'm sure I could find more plays where Derrell made a good move or two and didn't score (thereby not making a play that is an instant-recall).

But again, I agree he was better at getting open than breaking it open. But it's not like he couldn't do both.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

hopefully that is the sound your lifeless body makes hitting the ground.

Really? Really?

 

[InNormwetrust]

There would have been at least 10-15k views by HawkeyeShane alone if it would of said this...

People are looking because of the name Vandenberg's Mom, not DJK.