Aaron Mends Hoping Perseverance Pays Off in Final Chance
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
What a great outlook. I had the opportunity to meet (only briefly) this young man when he was still in high school. The thing that stood out was his humility and appreciation for hard work.
I posted something within the last week about Iowa's elite LBs (those that make the pros or earn All-B1G honors) cracking the starting lineup at least by their 4th year on campus, and mostly by their 3rd. It would be great if Mends could provide an exception to that rule. Regardless, you know he will be bringin' it on special teams and making a contribution.
I posted something within the last week about Iowa's elite LBs (those that make the pros or earn All-B1G honors) cracking the starting lineup at least by their 4th year on campus, and mostly by their 3rd. It would be great if Mends could provide an exception to that rule. Regardless, you know he will be bringin' it on special teams and making a contribution.
Alston might be a bad example... Yeah he ended up starting and playing a lot but he may have been the worst MLB of KFs era... I can still see him chasing David Johnson from 10 yards behind when he was supposed to be covering him.
But to your larger point of Mends having his chance there's no reason to root against him. Been hearing what a weight room warrior he's been for years now. If he can translate that to the field he should be really impactful out there. I just hope that regardless of who all plays out there that they play fast and aggressive.
It wasn't just that game Alston had troubles. That was just the most vivid example I remember. I attended every home game that year. He often was sucked up into the line and out of position against the run. He may have had a lot of tackles (Iowa's D struggled all year) but how many were for a 3 yard gain or less? The last home game against Nebraska he played terrible too as I remember off the top of my head. I just think if Iowa had anyone at all worth a darn behind him that he should have been given a chance because he wasn't cutting the mustard most of the year.
He had 95 tackles in 13 games. Nothing great about that. 6.5 for loss with 3.5 sacks which isn't bad for how Iowa plays their MLBs. No interceptions and 2 FFs. And as far as beyond the numbers goes he just wasn't an impactful player and couldn't cover anyone. At best he was an ok LB on a defense that really struggled on a team that didn't go to a bowl game....
I hate railing on a kid and I know that's what this is but to hear his name mentioned as one of the better ones just doesn't ring true to me. He was the beneficiary of the lack of depth at the position at that time after Morris/Kirksey/Hitchens era.
RobHowe
Administrator
Alston wasn't great but no way he's as bad as you're making him out to be. Again, the BIG TEN COACHES, named him second-team all-conference. They saw something in his play that warranted it. He was solid.
He had a redshirt freshman starting at the LEO and a true sophomore in his first season starting at the WIL. It wasn't a great defense but he wasn't the reason it wasn't. And the team did go to a bowl game.
Nobody is saying he's great or comparing him to a Josh Jackson breakout. But he was as solid. If Mends can be that solid this season, I'll be happy.
He had a redshirt freshman starting at the LEO and a true sophomore in his first season starting at the WIL. It wasn't a great defense but he wasn't the reason it wasn't. And the team did go to a bowl game.
Nobody is saying he's great or comparing him to a Josh Jackson breakout. But he was as solid. If Mends can be that solid this season, I'll be happy.
Thanks for this addition. I also remember Alston struggling, but I think like Hawkfnntn I am vividly remembering the UNI game, and then just thinking about how the whole team seemed to struggle defending the edges and defending in space (the Indiana game where Tevin Coleman, another NFL back, went for 219 also comes to mind).
Knowing that Alston was voted 2nd team All-B1G, I have to rethink my assessment of him.
As an aside, Iowa played against future NFL running backs vs. UNI, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern (assuming Jackson is drafted), Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. That was a murder's row of RBs.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Alston wasn't terrible by any means, but if we are comparing him to the other LBs that Kirk has had during his tenure, keeping it real, he would rank at or near the bottom. Good guy and played hard, but just wasn't that good of an athlete.
If Aaron can get his assignments down pat, he has much more potential IMO.
If Aaron can get his assignments down pat, he has much more potential IMO.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Jonathan Parker throwing a kickoff (and the rest of his Iowa career) out of bounds inside the ten yard line was the lasting image of that bowl game. That or Kirk's sideline collision and subsequent forehead laceration.
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
That season was painful in so many ways...
And CJ taking a pounding and not being taken out is one of mine and the discussion afterwards about it are mine...
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Was that the Outback Bowl vs Florida? I thought the Tax Slayer bowl was vs Tennessee and Beathard got in late and threw a garbage time TD after people had been screaming for him all year. Maybe I got my bowls mixed up. The sad part is that a lot of talented players like C.J. and Canzeri and Desmond King never got to play on a bowl winning team.
I dunno now that you say that. All those poor performances just run together in my head I guess. And I'm too lazy to check right now.
