Ed Podolak Takes Rightful Place in UI Hall of Fame

He is as much Hawkeye football to me as Fry and Ferentz are. He and Zabel were my eyes back in the late 80s and as the 90s got going. I listen to less radio now then when I was a kid but I'm so glad he and Dolph do what they do. Nobody loves Hawkeye football then that man. Nobody.
 
cffd883fdabcb3345e8d3a0658bd864c.jpg
 
A great hawkeye and player. He made way for L Lawrence at QB and didnt seem to squawk a bit about it and it turned out well for his pro career as a running back. I remember the old College All-Star game iirc (or it might have been something like the old North-South or East West games) the summer before Podolak's last year or maybe after he graduated but the coach had him run old style QB sweeps with two running backs blocking with pulling linemen and they went very well against the pro competition.
 
I ran into him many years ago at a small airport near Aspen. Was an early morning flight with few people headed out. Talked with him for maybe 10 minutes. He was headed back to IC to broadcast a game the next day. He enjoyed talking about the Hawkeyes I remember.

Came across this older piece after doing a little digging........ shares a bit more of his life.

 
MY introduction to pro football was the 1971 Christmas Day AFC playoff game between Miami and Kansas City. Podolak, playing for the Chiefs, had the game of his life in a losing effort as a runner, receiver and kick returner.

The game itself was an instant classic, one of those classic "changing of the guard" games. It was the arrival of the younger Dolphins as a super bowl contemder and the last gasp for a Chiefs team that had been a force for half a decade. It remains the longest game in terms of game time in NFL history and it interrupted God knows how many Christmas dinners and plans.

How ironic that Podolak came full circle and was paired with a broadcast partner who's last name was Dolphin?
 
1996 @ Illinois
Zabel: Man I could use a bowl of Mother Podalk’s chili.
Ed: I’d fight that whole Illinois team for a bowl.
Zabel: In fact if they had a big vat full of it I’d climb right in there and sit.
Ed: That’s quite a picture you sitting in a vat full of chili.
Zabel: To be developed at a further date.
 

Latest posts

Top