Best Back to not finish career at Iowa

K

kameltoez102

Well-Known Member
Was watching some old games and we have had a lot of running backs not finish their career at Iowa that had some serious playing time and played significant roles for the teams. Coker, Wehger, Robinson, Hampton, Garmon to an extent, I am sure I am missing more. Who do you think was the best and would have had the biggest impact had things worked out and they would have stayed. I did not include Greene or Russell who chose to go pro even though they had more eligibility.
 
Coker would be the obvious one as he had a couple seasons to look at. But I still liked what I saw with Hampton and Jevon Pugh. That's a kid you left off your list. We had such a rash of rb's leaving early for a 3 year period, or so.
 
It's Wegher to me.. The kid could catch the ball and was just physically a heck of an athlete. Coker was a battering ram that could get a head of steam going but had little shake to him. Hampton was bit by the injury bug some. I just think if Wegher could have kept it together he'd have done some big time things at Iowa.
Some of you may be aware of what he ended up doing at Morningside when he finished up there. He was absolutely ridiculous with what he did. You'd expect a D1 guy to dominate at that level but man he did that and more while he was there he almost got himself drafted. If it wasn't for his baggage he probably would have been. He ended up having a cup of coffee with the Panthers (went to wrong team loaded at RB with 3 good backs there along with an Auburn rookie drafted ahead of him) He's as much of a what if story as there is I think because his talent was always there the whole time...
 
Mik'ail Mcall was a beast...3.7 yards per carry and 11 TD's at SIU before being kicked off the team twice.
 
People may forget that ARob was possibly on pace to become the all time leading rusher at Iowa after 2 years,

Then Arob was kicked off the team, transferred to a new school, and then did basicly nothing and just kind of disapeared.

Its an all too common story. Coker and Hampton never were the same after leaving Iowa. Garmin and McCall had big personal issues. Whegher was one of the few to turn it around and actually end up making an NFL practice squad.

It would make for a great "where are they now" piece. All the ex-Iowa RB that were a victim of AIRBHG, where are they now, 5-10 years later. But then again, it might be depressing to find out.
 
Not even close my young friends. His name is Willie Fleming AKA Willie the Wisp. Fleming was First Team All Big Ten. In the 1959 Rose Bowl, California concentrated on Fleming helping allow fellow Hawkeye halfback, Bob Jeter gain 194 yards. Jeter had an 81-yard score and Fleming had 85 yards on nine attempts including two touchdowns of 37 and 7 yards. Fleming left school early to join the Canadian Football League, where he quickly became an all-star.

Iowa was voted as National Champions by the Football Writers after the Rose Bowl.
 
Duke said:
Not even close my young friends. His name is Willie Fleming AKA Willie the Wisp. Fleming was First Team All Big Ten. In the 1959 Rose Bowl, California concentrated on Fleming helping allow fellow Hawkeye halfback, Bob Jeter gain 194 yards. Jeter had an 81-yard score and Fleming had 85 yards on nine attempts including two touchdowns of 37 and 7 yards. Fleming left school early to join the Canadian Football League, where he quickly became an all-star.

Iowa was voted as National Champions by the Football Writers after the Rose Bowl.
Click to expand...

Nicely done. Perhaps people shouldn't presume Iowa football started in 1979.
 
K1NN1CK said:
Mik'ail Mcall was a beast...3.7 yards per carry and 11 TD's at SIU before being kicked off the team twice.
Click to expand...

This was the guy i couldn't remember i was gonna post didn't we have a guy whose dad was a professional boxer, he was a studd in a brief stint. Then the dreaded........i'll just stop right there ,hit.
 
Roger Craig, the best Iowa back never to have played @ Kinnick. Too bad Hayden didn't come a year earlier....
 
Yes, Fleming for the 1950s and 60s and that era. But I cant believe that no one mentioned Jermelle Lewis in the KF era. Technically yes J Lewis actually finished his eligibility at Iowa but he was a shell of his 2002-and part of 2003 years because of two ACLs. If you watch his balance, high stepping soft footwork, speed, and power in 2002 and some of 2003 you will agree he could have been a great one. Just look at his runs against Michigan in 2002 and there were many more.

I am not sure why Garmin is getting any pub in this thread as he hardly played. Yes, Hampton like J Lewis had the injury bug at Iowa and was a very good back.
 
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