first time meeting a hawkeye

jbuch26 said:
My first was actually Hayden Fry when he came to my house to recruit my older brother. I was 10. I'll never forget two things: The big Texan was wearing some awesome cowboy boots that had both a Tigerhawk and a rose on them - and when my mom asked: "Hayden, do you want something to drink?" he answered: "Well shoot...I'll have something to wet my whistler."
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Did he sign your brother?
 
There use to be a sporting goods store in Ottumwa that would have basketball players come in and sign autographs. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the store. But it was before Pro Sports was there. So you're going back a while ago.

Anyway, I remember Boyle, Gannon, and Kenny Arnold being there one year. I'm sure there were others but I was very young.
 
I met Jake Christensen once. Went to shake his hand and he went high and poked me in the eye. I then shook hands with the guy next to him and he started to cry and ran away.
 
I met Mike Humpal the first day of Kindergarden. I graduated with him...HA! Other than that, I got a picture back in 02" with Captain Kirk at a UI b-ball game. He was with some recruits. Both class individuals.
 
Jim Jensen, Mike Frantz and Doug Reichardt in 1975. Great people who were very open and welcoming to a newcomer in town. These folks and their friends and families are the kind of people that make me proud to be included as a member of HawkeyeNation.
 
I attended the Tom Davis Basketball Camp back in 1989. B.J. Armstrong was my coach. Along with B.J. the entire camp was full of Hawkeyes past and present. I got autographs from Roy Marble, Ed Horton, B.J., Bill Jones, Kevin Gamble and of course, Mr. Davis himself. It was awesome
 
I felt pretty lucky when I went to school in 78' basketball and football were definitely on the rise. And for some reason all my buddies and me from Ottumwa got along great with the players. I remember hanging out with Tom Norman, Dick Peth, and Vinnie Brookins at the Fieldhouse downtown. Playing pick up ball in the old Fieldhouse with Ronnie Lester and Kenny Arnold who was just a young pup. Back in those days the players were downtown and out and about quite a bit more than today. I remember teaching Michael Payne how to play Donky Kong. You could have a conversation with Roy Marble, BJ, or Eddie Horton anytime you wanted. They were all really great guys. Hanging around Iowa City so long had great opportunities to meet and talk with Chuck Long, Ronnie Harmon, and a lot of the guys from the incredible 85' team. And anyone there at that time can remember when you saw Eddie and Louie Banach and Randy Lewis come into the bar it was probably a good idea to get out of there because most likely something was going to happen. Just ran into Randy in Ankeny last week and he still looks like he could throw you down and beat the crap out of you. But it was fun catching up on old times.

I miss those days a lot. Had a nice conversation with Bobby Hansen this past weekend at a 3 on 3 tournament in West Des Moines. Told me Clay Hardgrave has recently ran into some trouble. I still run into T Norman around Des Moines every once in awhile. It was and always will be great to be a HAWK!!!
 
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The first time I saw a Hawkeye outside of a sporting event was my freshman year at Iowa in 2001. I was on my way to pick up my season basketball tickets and saw The Ferentz jogging. I just said "Hi" and he nodded and kept jogging. The only other time I've seen The Ferentz outside of a sporting event was a couple weeks ago at Short's Burger and Shine in downtown Iowa City. The Ferentz and his wife had dinner with 3 young guys that I'm assuming were recruits. I'm sure he sealed the deal and got them to commit to Iowa that night, and that they'll end up in the NFL some day.
 
DDHawkeye said:
The first time I saw a Hawkeye outside of a sporting event was my freshman year at Iowa in 2001. I was on my way to pick up my season basketball tickets and saw The Ferentz jogging. I just said "Hi" and he nodded and kept jogging. The only other time I've seen The Ferentz outside of a sporting event was a couple weeks ago at Short's Burger and Shine in downtown Iowa City. The Ferentz and his wife had dinner with 3 young guys that I'm assuming were recruits. I'm sure he sealed the deal and got them to commit to Iowa that night, and that they'll end up in the NFL some day.
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I forgot to mention, when I saw The Ferentz at Short's, I was trying to contain my smile and managed to say "Howdy, how ya doin'?" He smiled back at me and said "Hi, good." I nearly fainted.
 
not the first one but a couple years ago I was working at my friends stand at the fair and this pretty young gal walks up. This was after Horner and Brunners senior year and they had been showing their Gfs all the time on TV. I recognized the girl, Adam Haluskas wife now, before I recognized the guy next to her, Adam Haluska.
 
Went to to school a year behind Al Lorenzen and lived in the same neighborhood. He was always a very nice and smart guy. I remember his letter of intent ceremony in front of the whole school and winning state his senior year, awesome.

Delivered pizza to Mr. Davis at his house on Finkbine quite often. The best thing I can say about talking to him was he was exactly like you would have predicted. A big smile, patient...decent tipper. I cried real tears when they made it to the sweet sixteen his last year as coach.

In high school in CR my brother and I joined a small wrestling "club" that practiced a couple of nights a week after our regular school workouts. The highlight of that club was the one night when Dan Gable would join our little ten or so member group for an hour. He'd give us a motivational chat and then show us some technique to work on. He asked me to come up with him so he could demonstrate the moves. I'm 43 now and I still cherish that opportunity...in such small intimate setting and to be able interact with a true legend. Wow. It felt like he was in our parents' basement hangin' out with us. As I got older I realized how generous the coach was to do that for us. None of us was even close to being considered a potential recruit prospect. Yet there he was, out of town, well into the evening, giving his valuable time to a few young wide-eyed kids. He is still a hero to me.

Go hawks!
 
I met Tom Knight and Bashir Yamini at the 1998 Spring Game.
I went to Iowa 2008 and 2009 and had classes with Clayborn, Sash, Zuvekias(sic), Moeaki and the guy who was in the 2005 class that graduated a year early and didn't come back . Was supposed to be in a group with Jermaine Phillips but he never showed up for the meetings and eventually dropped out of class.
 
Steve Carfino came to our schools basketball camp in Knoxville...I had to guard him and believe it or not; he seemed to outplay me :). I remember him telling me he was not quick enough to stay in the NBA which blew my mind...the whole time I was gaurding him I kept thinking he was the quickest guy in the world. Gave me an early glimpse what genetic freaks the truly gifted players are, and how great the seperation between a "good" high school player, a "good" college player. He also told us he learned to dribble because his road was full of potholes and gravel, and it seemed so easy when he got to play on an actual court.
 
Taylor Streube (full back for 1 or 2 yrs never cracked the starting lineup). Anyway, it was when I was playing football at Spirit Lake at defensive end. He played running back for Emmetsburg. Head on collision. I was a bit concussed after that one.
 
Acie Earl came to my class in about 4th grade. Good god, when I was 9 he was impossibly tall! I saw him at the Hy Vee a couple weeks ago. Now he's only about 10 inches taller than me, and a little bigger around the middle than he used to be. But then again, so am I, so I can't judge!
 
I met Bob Sanders at an Iowa bar in Indy watching the IA/Mich. game in '05. I was 23 at the time but I was so nervous talking to him that I know I seemed like a 12 year old dork. I didn't ask for an autograph or anyting though..that would have seemed a little pathetic to me. He was a good sport about it though and signed an Iowa banner anyway for me even though I didn't ask. He was a heck of a nice guy.
 
napleshawk said:
Went to to school a year behind Al Lorenzen and lived in the same neighborhood. He was always a very nice and smart guy. I remember his letter of intent ceremony in front of the whole school and winning state his senior year, awesome.

Delivered pizza to Mr. Davis at his house on Finkbine quite often. The best thing I can say about talking to him was he was exactly like you would have predicted. A big smile, patient...decent tipper. I cried real tears when they made it to the sweet sixteen his last year as coach.

In high school in CR my brother and I joined a small wrestling "club" that practiced a couple of nights a week after our regular school workouts. The highlight of that club was the one night when Dan Gable would join our little ten or so member group for an hour. He'd give us a motivational chat and then show us some technique to work on. He asked me to come up with him so he could demonstrate the moves. I'm 43 now and I still cherish that opportunity...in such small intimate setting and to be able interact with a true legend. Wow. It felt like he was in our parents' basement hangin' out with us. As I got older I realized how generous the coach was to do that for us. None of us was even close to being considered a potential recruit prospect. Yet there he was, out of town, well into the evening, giving his valuable time to a few young wide-eyed kids. He is still a hero to me.

Go hawks!
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I still can't forgive myself for actually believing that it was Dr.Tom's time to go. I bought into the hype of Alford and was excited about the transition. I still feel like I betrayed Dr.Tom to this day. I still half-expect to see a full court press every now and then when Iowa plays...he was a great coach and I as a fan abandoned him. Good people should not be treated that way.
 
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