Best of the Decade: Offensive Player (VOTE!)

[FortDHawkeye]

Brad Banks , yah i know i know . I look at it this way . If you were the head football coach at Iowa , given our history of what types of players we turn out to the Pros , and i gave you the pick between these 4 players and i said you can only have one , who would you keep .

I pick Brad Banks.

Drew Tate was a good choice but i think Brad's ability to turn upfield and run it , to make something out of nothing is better that Tates.

Gallery , good choice but we have proven we dont have to rely on one "Big John Stud" lineman to win ...matter of fact we usually have 3 guys with pro prospect written on them , with one being a super star and the other 2 in the wing somewhere.

Greene , yep probably one of the top 3 RBs out of Iowa ever. But do we usually have a bad one? We got three on the team right now.

Why Brad? because QB has not been our strongest niche over all considering . Yes , we usually have decent QBs but they arent near the caliber of the other types of players on that list.

How many QBs from Iowa have made it pro vs , lineman , RB's , kickers?

Thats why if i had to pick one on my team i would take a Brad Banks every year and leave the rest to chance.

 

[WaterlooHawkfan]

It was a tough call picking Tate over Banks. I felt that Tate had to do more with less than Banks did so I went with him. Its too bad he didn't progress after that season.

 

[IATrainMaster101]

I had to go Brad Banks. In 2001, when he came off the bench you could tell he was going to be special. In 2002, he was amazing. Even with all of the talent around him that season he made that team much better. I would argue that any team after 2002 would have been better with Banks at the helm. Poised, efficient and dangerous.

 

[soshawk]

This is a VERY tough call but I am going to have to go with Banks for a different reason than most. I was a student from 2001-2005 and Brad Banks had the "it" factor, which pushes him above the rest slightly, IMO. The buzz this guy created around campus was simply incredible!! All 5 of these guys were amazing but I am going with the "it" factor for my vote.

 

[hawkfan2679]

I was in the NW corner during that game. I've never heard a similar "explosion" than when Kaeding's foot hit that ball on that FG try...it sounded like a gunshot. It hit halfway up on the net in the north endzone, so I agree that it would have been good from 65!

Actually, he kicked it to the SOUTH endzone

I must have had my years mixed up. I just checked...2003 was the year I went. We beat Minny that year 40-22.

 

[bws258]

wow, look at the late Greene vote totals! (ballot stuffing?)

I'm OK with Greene, Banks, or Gallery

 

[JonDMiller]

wow, look at the late Greene vote totals! (ballot stuffing?)

I'm OK with Greene, Banks, or Gallery

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[shonblatt]

My vote goes to Dallas Clark.

I'd rank them like this:

1. Clark - look no further than the 95 yard score against Purdue in 2002 to see why. His athleticism at TE was unparalleled, and he produced big plays regularly.

2. Gallery - Dominant OL that started all 4 years, the best of a really special group of linemen who were a major force.

3. Greene - Had he stayed for his senior year, he probably would have ended up #1 on my list.

4. Tate - Drew somehow gets all the credit for 2004, when the Iowa D and Kyle Schlicher had huge seasons and won several of those games. Tate having a better statistical year in 2005 while the team had a major drop off should be the leading indicator of how Drew got too much credit for 2004.

5. Banks - Heisman runner-up, magical single season performance - made largely possible by Clark and Gallery's OL.

6. Kaeding - Big leg, great accuracy - Iowa's all-time best kicker.

7. Hinkel - Knack for making unbelievable catches, major contributor on offense and special teams, ran great routes, not afraid to go over the middle.

**edit - just noticed that Hinkel wasn't even listed as an honorable mention guy...? That's gotta be an oversight...