Aaron Greving

[HawkinGoferLand]

Events of the Iowa football camp had me thinking of Aaron Greving's situation the past week. He was a promising RB who scored 3 TDs in one game in 2001 but was hampered by injuries in camp prior to his RS Soph (?) season. IIRC he would have started ahead of Russell and Lewis in 2002. The University of Iowa even chose to market his #34 jersey that year. Promising indeed.

Greving decided to hang up the cleats for good (mid-year IIRC). I have no idea what he went through or even all the reasons that went into his decision. It doesn't matter. It was a personal decision. I remember being selfishly disappointed. I remember thinking 'how can someone walk away from something I'd give anything to do?'

I guess, you wonder sometimes about all the blood, sweat and tears these kids pour into their football lives. Eating, breathing, sleeping football. Sometimes, the sacrifice they give and the pain they endure can out-weigh the love for the game. The game we all loved to play as kids. The game we anxiously await to begin each fall Saturday. The game we teach our sons today.

It's hard to keep in mind that these players we love are still just school kids as young as 18 years old. Young adults under tremendous pressure to perform and succeed with millions of eyes upon their every move. The microscope of the media, fans and message boards.

Granted, many of these young men stand to earn a great deal of money from this game, but they are surely in the minority. Certainly, they receive a 'free' education from an outstanding public university, although the school certainly will enjoy great financial benefit from the team's success.

We always talk about Life Balance at our company - balance your personal and professional lives. That can be downright impossible during a football season for these kids. What a circus it must be to balance school with football, friends, and family. School is supposed to be full-time. Maybe it compares to the circus many of us have at home raising an active family?

I have no idea what became of Aaron Greving. I hope he is enjoying a wonderful life and I wish him well. I do know this: he lived the dream all of us have had. To run onto the field of historic Kinnick Stadium to the roar of the adoring fans, joined hand-in-hand in a Black and Gold Swarm. To smell the fresh grass of the field on a fall day. To help lead our beloved Hawks to victory.

Once a Hawkeye. Always a Hawkeye.

 

[imported_ankle23]

going to school is hard enough. couple that with a full-time job that playing any sport in college is....believe me........remind that these folks are 18-22 year olds........and then say that football is the sport.......this is a tough gig for these guys...not all the glamor that joe fan thinks it is........

 

[tm3308]

I've got a friend who plays college baseball, and he's said multiple times that it's nothing like high school. It stops being something that's "fun", and becomes much more of a job, given the kind of time and effort it takes to play the game at that level. I mean I busted my *** to improve at baseball in high school (I'd spend hours in the gym hitting off a tee and working on defensive footwork), but the guys who play in college get up at 5 am every day to seemingly run a marathon, then hit the weights, run some more, and THEN hit the diamond. For as much time and hard work as I put in, it was nothing compared to the college game. I envy the opportunity that these guys get on fall Saturdays, but I don't envy the other 6 days of the week that they gut out.

 

[Hawkchop]

I played college football.. at a D2 school...and even at that level is just wasnt fun anymore..It was a full time job. I can't imagine playing D1 with all the pressure, all the reporters, everyone knows you, or knows when you mess up, it would be rough, but the guys that stick it out REALLY love the game. I look at Paki Omeara and man some people put him down constantly for not performing well but I bet he loves football more than most on here.

 

[tm3308]

I played college football.. at a D2 school...and even at that level is just wasnt fun anymore..It was a full time job. I can't imagine playing D1 with all the pressure, all the reporters, everyone knows you, or knows when you mess up, it would be rough, but the guys that stick it out REALLY love the game. I look at Paki Omeara and man some people put him down constantly for not performing well but I bet he loves football more than most on here.

Exactly. The guys who stick it out for 4 or 5 years, without ever really getting to bask in glory, THOSE are the guys who deserve the most respect on the team. They put in just as much work, and have much less tangible rewards to show for it.

 

[grandmahawk]

Beautifully and elegantly put, HawkinGoferLand! I, too, wish Greving all the best.

 

[NorthFloridaHawkeye]

Did Aaron quit the team because he had injuries that would prevent him from playing the way he was used to or did he leave because he just didn't want to play anymore?

Along the same lines, Glenn Coffee, a RB from Alabama retired after 1 season in the pro's this year. He went to high school locally here. Family said that he just wanted to do something different. Possibly become a minister.

 

[theboat]

I am still convinced that he was a mole, placed here by the city of Ames to backstep into the endzone at a very crucial point in a game and help keep Iowa out of the NC game. Once that mission was accomplished, he had nothing left to fight for.

 

[HawkinGoferLand]

I had the opportunity to play basketball or football at the D3 and JUCO levels and chose not to. A decision I often times regret not giving it a shot. I had several fellow teammates a year or 3 ahead of me in HS, most of which played 1 season and decided the fun was gone and moved on to rec ball. Going from packed gyms of rauchious fans, to mostly empty gyms where the squeek of basketball shoes was the loudest sound.

 

[CAARHawk]

Googled him. Looks like he is an Account Executive at Kodak Dental Systems in Des Moines. Not a stalker. Just this thread got me interested.

 

[HawkinGoferLand]

Did Aaron quit the team because he had injuries that would prevent him from playing the way he was used to or did he leave because he just didn't want to play anymore?

I found an announcement that said he left due to injuries prior to facing # 13 Michigan in 2002. Here is Ferentz's comments:

"Aaron's battled significant injury problems since the spring and at this time feels he needs a break from football," Ferentz said in a statement. "We are very appreciative of Aaron's many contributions. He's been a valued team member, and I am hopeful he may decide to return at some point in the near future."

Iowa Running Back Leaves Due to Injuries :: Aaron Greving makes announcement the before the No. 13 Hawkeyes play No. 8 Michigan.

 

[Igothawked]

This is a very interesting topic. I remember Aaron Greving well. My roommate at Iowa & Kirkwood was from Ames and played high school ball with Greving. I met him a couple times. I specifically remember him showing us some broken ribs he had. He had a massive black and blue on his side the size of a helmet. He was walking around in pain. I think he just had had enough didn't want to deal with the pain and hung them up. He was hurt when we quit, but he certainly could have come back the next year but did not.
The thing I find interesting about this topic is that the people find college sports to be more of a job than something fun. I can understand that, however part of the reason for that is because in high school athletes tend to not have to work as hard. They have superior talent over those on their team and their level of competition, they do not have to work as hard to beat people they are playing.
I know this was the case for me in high school. I was bigger and faster than everyone I played against in football and basketball until I began my sophmore year and had to play in the MO Valley in Iowa. At that point I realized I had to put in extra work and each year from then on out it took extra work to get better and I just didn't do it.
That is why I think a lot of people become a little shocked when making that transition to college (I'm sure it happens in the transition to the pro level too, although then it is actually a job). In order to compete at a higher level you are going to have to improve your game, work harder, spend more time at the gym, at film sessions, etc and you cannot expect to survive on talent alone.

 

[theboat]

I can definitely relate to the feeling of losing the "love." I went to college to play football too, tore my ACL in the first full scrimmage and spent 6 months doing rehab. Then when spring practice rolled around, I had lost the "love" and it felt like work. Transferred out that semester to have the "college experience" at a bigger school, but I definitely wonder what could have been. Can't fault a guy for not wanting to do it anymore, it takes a lot of time and effort, even at the small college level.

 

[OnPoint]

I've got a friend who plays college baseball, and he's said multiple times that it's nothing like high school. It stops being something that's "fun", and becomes much more of a job, given the kind of time and effort it takes to play the game at that level. I mean I busted my *** to improve at baseball in high school (I'd spend hours in the gym hitting off a tee and working on defensive footwork), but the guys who play in college get up at 5 am every day to seemingly run a marathon, then hit the weights, run some more, and THEN hit the diamond. For as much time and hard work as I put in, it was nothing compared to the college game. I envy the opportunity that these guys get on fall Saturdays, but I don't envy the other 6 days of the week that they gut out.

This was my experience too. Was recruited to play baseball in college, for a good team. Made the national tournament, eventually placing 7th, and I still found the entire experience of playing collegiate ball a grind. With spring, summer, and fall ball -- plus "off season" workouts, I found I very rarely got away from the game.

I consciously keep this in mind while raising my three kids. Keep things fun...

 

[AlwaysbeaHawk]

Events of the Iowa football camp had me thinking of Aaron Greving's situation the past week. He was a promising RB who scored 3 TDs in one game in 2001 but was hampered by injuries in camp prior to his RS Soph (?) season. IIRC he would have started ahead of Russell and Lewis in 2002. The University of Iowa even chose to market his #34 jersey that year. Promising indeed.

Greving decided to hang up the cleats for good (mid-year IIRC). I have no idea what he went through or even all the reasons that went into his decision. It doesn't matter. It was a personal decision. I remember being selfishly disappointed. I remember thinking 'how can someone walk away from something I'd give anything to do?'

I guess, you wonder sometimes about all the blood, sweat and tears these kids pour into their football lives. Eating, breathing, sleeping football. Sometimes, the sacrifice they give and the pain they endure can out-weigh the love for the game. The game we all loved to play as kids. The game we anxiously await to begin each fall Saturday. The game we teach our sons today.

It's hard to keep in mind that these players we love are still just school kids as young as 18 years old. Young adults under tremendous pressure to perform and succeed with millions of eyes upon their every move. The microscope of the media, fans and message boards.

Granted, many of these young men stand to earn a great deal of money from this game, but they are surely in the minority. Certainly, they receive a 'free' education from an outstanding public university, although the school certainly will enjoy great financial benefit from the team's success.

We always talk about Life Balance at our company - balance your personal and professional lives. That can be downright impossible during a football season for these kids. What a circus it must be to balance school with football, friends, and family. School is supposed to be full-time. Maybe it compares to the circus many of us have at home raising an active family?

I have no idea what became of Aaron Greving. I hope he is enjoying a wonderful life and I wish him well. I do know this: he lived the dream all of us have had. To run onto the field of historic Kinnick Stadium to the roar of the adoring fans, joined hand-in-hand in a Black and Gold Swarm. To smell the fresh grass of the field on a fall day. To help lead our beloved Hawks to victory.

Once a Hawkeye. Always a Hawkeye.

you can smell the field turf??

 

[iahawk72]

I can think of a couple of players...

There was promising Tony Collins from Davenport Assumption who was really doing great things at WR but quit football to go to school. It seems to me that a girlfriend was involved in that decision as well.

Matt Neubauer was a DL from Iowa Falls that showed flashes as a youngster but he decided school wasn't for him and quit football and dropped out of school to return to help farm with his family.

So it does happen.

iahawk72

 

[whammer33024]

i know about not wanting to deal with injuries. i played baseball at a juco(yes small, but baseball was your life) and i tore apart my elbow. had tommy john surgery, rehabbed EVERYDAY for a year(6 months of it had nothing to do with throwing a ball) and it got really old. when i was able to come back, it was winter practice time. everyday in a gym gets really old too. pitched one spring season and the next fall. my 3rd season(redshirted the year i was injured) 2 weeks before the spring season started, my elbow started hurting again. turns out i had a stress fracture in the same elbow. doc said take 2 months off from throwing. well in college, 2 months is your season.

i got offers to play at bigger colleges, but at that point my shoulder was also starting to hurt so i decided to give it up. i still question that decision sometimes, but i was tired of being in pain constantly and then not being able to play anyway. as it turned out, i tore apart everything in my shoulder including a broken bone. i've contemplated surgery several times and giving it one last shot, but i don't think its worth it

 

[highonhawks]

I don't post too much on this board but this topic sparked my interest.I was thinking the exact same thing a couple of days ago.I was reflecting on the Bowl games of the past decade and was remembering the Alamo Bowl where AG carried the load for us when Ladel Betts got injured.Then I had visions of BW carrying the ball for our last touchdown in the Orange bowl and thought,hummm,I hope this isn't the last we see of BW. It's hard for us fans to understand what's going on with these guy's but we can only wish them the best.
I'm glad they chose to become Hawkeyes and am thankfull for the great memories of both guys.Hopefully we will still see more carries from BW.

GO HAWKEYES !!!!!!!

 

[trj]

I understand what most of you are talking about in terms of sacrifice,burn out and everything, but for myself personally: the competition, the camaradie of your teammates, the adrenaline rush of game day would far outweigh the other stuff.

I have only participated in intramural sports and pick-up games, so my viewpoint may be skewed this way. In retrospect maybe I don't understand what athletes go through at the collegiate level.

 

[Warhawks77]

This is a very interesting topic. I remember Aaron Greving well. My roommate at Iowa & Kirkwood was from Ames and played high school ball with Greving. I met him a couple times. I specifically remember him showing us some broken ribs he had. He had a massive black and blue on his side the size of a helmet. He was walking around in pain. I think he just had had enough didn't want to deal with the pain and hung them up. He was hurt when we quit, but he certainly could have come back the next year but did not.
The thing I find interesting about this topic is that the people find college sports to be more of a job than something fun. I can understand that, however part of the reason for that is because in high school athletes tend to not have to work as hard. They have superior talent over those on their team and their level of competition, they do not have to work as hard to beat people they are playing.
I know this was the case for me in high school. I was bigger and faster than everyone I played against in football and basketball until I began my sophmore year and had to play in the MO Valley in Iowa. At that point I realized I had to put in extra work and each year from then on out it took extra work to get better and I just didn't do it.
That is why I think a lot of people become a little shocked when making that transition to college (I'm sure it happens in the transition to the pro level too, although then it is actually a job). In order to compete at a higher level you are going to have to improve your game, work harder, spend more time at the gym, at film sessions, etc and you cannot expect to survive on talent alone.

I know when I played Div I basketball that our coach would often yell that he could take our scholarships away and send us home. Ultimately it was a strange way to motivate us but it worked. I was one that did end up giving up basketball due to back injuries. I added 3 hours a day to my schedule just to be lose enough to do the other 8 hours. then go to class and have time to study. The fact is if an athlete is on scholarship, they in essence are getting paid to play the sport. They leave college, hopefully, with a useful degree that is paid for. The schedule is demanding and non negotiable. We had shoot around, lifting and study time all before 7AM every morning. Then class and then another 3-4 hours invested in basketball and then home to hopefully get the class work done prior to crashing and waking up at 4:45 the next morning. It is a job more so and not because the athletes are better. It's all the demands that didn't exist at the lower level combined with the forementioned need to perform to keep school paid for.

I did regret my decision for some time but ultimately came to realize it was the right decision for me. I do agree with those comments above though that college basketball removed my love for the game. That came back some years later with exception that this old body doesn't move like it used to. That tends to take a little fun out of it too! LOL