Greatest Player in Iowa FB History (and you can't vote for Kinnick)

Robert DeLafayette Jeter, Jr. has to be on anybodies short list. MVP 1959 Rose Bowl where he ran for a record 194 yards and an Iowa win. Went on to win 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls playing DB with the Green Bay Packers. Rose Bowl and NFL halls of Fame.
 
Back in 2014, I did a countdown of the 30 greatest Hawkeyes of all time. Marvin McNutt is the most recent player on this list, and I think you could make a great argument for Brandon Scherff and Desmond King among players from the past 5 years.

Here's a break down of the eras:
Pre-1950: 6 Players
1950-1978: 9 Players
Fry Era: 8 Players
Ferentz Era: 8 Players

Here's a break down by position. Some of the positions are relative, and several of the players were two-way players but are listed at their best known position:
QB: 5
RB: 4
WR/TE: 4
OL: 8
DL: 2
LB: 2
DB: 4
ST: 2

1 Nile Kinnick
2 Cal Jones
3 Larry Station
4 Chuck Long
4 Randy Duncan
6 Alex Karras
7 Bob Sanders
8 Brad Banks
9 Reggie Roby
10 Robert Gallery
11 John Niland
12 John Alt
13 Tim Dwight
14 Dallas Clark
15 Emlen Tunnell
16 Shonn Greene
17 Eric Steinbach
18 Andre Tippett
19 Duke Slater
20 Jerry Hilgenberg
21 Lester Belding
22 Paul Krause
23 Sedrick Shaw
24 LeRoy Smith
25 Bill Reichardt
26 Marvin McNutt
27 Joe Laws
28 Jared DeVries
29 Aubrey Devine and Gordon Locke
30 Nate Kaeding
 
proudhawkfan21 said:
Chuck Long. Four years of great football at the most important position. Made us relevant year in and year out and brought legitimacy to Fry's program, national #1 ranking, Rose Bowl, Heisman race, big time national tv exposure when it wasn't as everywhere as it is today, excitement on the offensive side of the ball. Lots of great Hawks going back to the Ironmen...but my vote is for Long for the reasons listed.
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I originally said Sanders. but I'm changing to Chuck Long.
 
thejumper5 said:
Back in 2014, I did a countdown of the 30 greatest Hawkeyes of all time. Marvin McNutt is the most recent player on this list, and I think you could make a great argument for Brandon Scherff and Desmond King among players from the past 5 years.

Here's a break down of the eras:
Pre-1950: 6 Players
1950-1978: 9 Players
Fry Era: 8 Players
Ferentz Era: 8 Players

Here's a break down by position. Some of the positions are relative, and several of the players were two-way players but are listed at their best known position:
QB: 5
RB: 4
WR/TE: 4
OL: 8
DL: 2
LB: 2
DB: 4
ST: 2

1 Nile Kinnick
2 Cal Jones
3 Larry Station
4 Chuck Long
4 Randy Duncan
6 Alex Karras
7 Bob Sanders
8 Brad Banks
9 Reggie Roby
10 Robert Gallery
11 John Niland
12 John Alt
13 Tim Dwight
14 Dallas Clark
15 Emlen Tunnell
16 Shonn Greene
17 Eric Steinbach
18 Andre Tippett
19 Duke Slater
20 Jerry Hilgenberg
21 Lester Belding
22 Paul Krause
23 Sedrick Shaw
24 LeRoy Smith
25 Bill Reichardt
26 Marvin McNutt
27 Joe Laws
28 Jared DeVries
29 Aubrey Devine and Gordon Locke
30 Nate Kaeding
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I know this is strictly about time spent with the Hawks, but just out of pure curiosity I'd like to see a list like this arranged by success in the NFL. Several of these guys either didn't play pro ball or were busts, and there are several not on the list who were or will be (barring injury) very successful NFLers (Greenway, Babineaux, Scherff, etc.).

I'd say that barring injury, Brandon Scherff is well on his way to being the most successful Hawkeye at his position or otherwise in the NFL. Bob Sanders would've easily had that distinction if he'd payed more than two years.
 
Without Chuck Long what would have Iowa been in the mid 80s? Remember this guy played in 5 bowls I think ain't nobody breaking that record. He wasn't just a 1 or 2 yr starter. He and Fry are tied at the hip for elevating the program out of the dark ages. We haven't had a qb before or since that can say they've had that impact. We've had a few that have had a good season here and there. But nobody had been dominant and done it multiple years. Unlike Banks who had zero hype around him going into his senior year. Chuck had all the hype in the world and lived up to it. If it'd have been any other year and not going up against Bo Jackson he'd have brought the Heisman home too....
 
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I can't say a O-lineman was better or worse than a running back or a DB. So I have to go by category

Favorite Running Back - Tavian Banks or Ronnie Harmon
Specialist - Timmy Dwight
QB - Chuck Long - no contest
DB - Bob Sanders
D Line - Babineaux
O Line Gallery
WR - slim pickins I'll go with mcnutt
TE - Dallas Clark

can't comment on others before Hayden.
 
thejumper5 said:
Back in 2014, I did a countdown of the 30 greatest Hawkeyes of all time. Marvin McNutt is the most recent player on this list, and I think you could make a great argument for Brandon Scherff and Desmond King among players from the past 5 years.

Here's a break down of the eras:
Pre-1950: 6 Players
1950-1978: 9 Players
Fry Era: 8 Players
Ferentz Era: 8 Players

Here's a break down by position. Some of the positions are relative, and several of the players were two-way players but are listed at their best known position:
QB: 5
RB: 4
WR/TE: 4
OL: 8
DL: 2
LB: 2
DB: 4
ST: 2

1 Nile Kinnick
2 Cal Jones
3 Larry Station
4 Chuck Long
4 Randy Duncan
6 Alex Karras
7 Bob Sanders
8 Brad Banks
9 Reggie Roby
10 Robert Gallery
11 John Niland
12 John Alt
13 Tim Dwight
14 Dallas Clark
15 Emlen Tunnell
16 Shonn Greene
17 Eric Steinbach
18 Andre Tippett
19 Duke Slater
20 Jerry Hilgenberg
21 Lester Belding
22 Paul Krause
23 Sedrick Shaw
24 LeRoy Smith
25 Bill Reichardt
26 Marvin McNutt
27 Joe Laws
28 Jared DeVries
29 Aubrey Devine and Gordon Locke
30 Nate Kaeding
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Shaw is under rated and often forgotten. I'd have a tough time putting Greene above him. Fry tried running him into the ground it seemed like and he just kept answering the bell. When Tavian Banks came on he should have gotten more touches than he did due to his talent also. If it weren't for each other being at Iowa overlapping they'd have been both up on this list and higher I bet. Banks was awesome in his own right. Another guy I think is under valued is good ole Eddie Podalak
 
thejumper5 said:
Back in 2014, I did a countdown of the 30 greatest Hawkeyes of all time. Marvin McNutt is the most recent player on this list, and I think you could make a great argument for Brandon Scherff and Desmond King among players from the past 5 years.

Here's a break down of the eras:
Pre-1950: 6 Players
1950-1978: 9 Players
Fry Era: 8 Players
Ferentz Era: 8 Players

Here's a break down by position. Some of the positions are relative, and several of the players were two-way players but are listed at their best known position:
QB: 5
RB: 4
WR/TE: 4
OL: 8
DL: 2
LB: 2
DB: 4
ST: 2

1 Nile Kinnick
2 Cal Jones
3 Larry Station
4 Chuck Long
4 Randy Duncan
6 Alex Karras
7 Bob Sanders
8 Brad Banks
9 Reggie Roby
10 Robert Gallery
11 John Niland
12 John Alt
13 Tim Dwight
14 Dallas Clark
15 Emlen Tunnell
16 Shonn Greene
17 Eric Steinbach
18 Andre Tippett
19 Duke Slater
20 Jerry Hilgenberg
21 Lester Belding
22 Paul Krause
23 Sedrick Shaw
24 LeRoy Smith
25 Bill Reichardt
26 Marvin McNutt
27 Joe Laws
28 Jared DeVries
29 Aubrey Devine and Gordon Locke
30 Nate Kaeding
Click to expand...

How can you not have Ronnie Harmon on this list?

You can make a strong arguement that he's the best RB & best WR in school history.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
Without Chuck Long what would have Iowa been in the mid 80s? Remember this guy played in 5 bowls I think ain't nobody breaking that record. He wasn't just a 1 or 2 yr starter. He and Fry are tied at the hip for elevating the program out of the dark ages. We haven't had a qb before or since that can say they've had that impact. We've had a few that have had a good season here and there. But nobody had been dominant and done it multiple years. Unlike Banks who had zero hype around him going into his senior year. Chuck had all the hype in the world and lived up to it. If it'd have been any other year and not going up against Bo Jackson he'd have brought the Heisman home too....
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With Vlasic, about the same.
 
HawkGold said:
That would be so hard to come up with.

My short list:

Alex Karras, Dallas Clark, Reggie Roby, Mark Bortz, Andre Tippett, and Larry Station.

Of those who could play across generations: Andre Tippett.
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Yeah, Tippet was an absolute other-worldly player. Amazing talent, great mind for the game.
 
Xerxes said:
How can you not have Ronnie Harmon on this list?

You can make a strong arguement that he's the best RB & best WR in school history.
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Amen. There are few players who are worth the ticket price to see, but Ronnie was all that. Nobody came close until Dwight came along.

Too bad all memories of him in black and gold ultimately lead to the 86 Rose Bowl.
 
Xerxes said:
How can you not have Ronnie Harmon on this list?

You can make a strong arguement that he's the best RB & best WR in school history.
Click to expand...

I'm probably biased against Harmon because I never saw him play. Most of what I heard about him anecdotally from family growing up was that he was paid to throw the Rose Bowl and cost the Hawkeyes a shot at a national title. It can be hard to separate reality from people's emotions.

That said, I think if I was going to re-do this today, I probably would take out all the pre-Kinnick players and rank just 1939-present. Those 1920s players deserve more praise than they generally receive, but it is so hard to evaluate them in comparison to anyone from 1950 forward due to significant changes in stat keeping, awards, poll voting, and other factors.

There are also a couple of other players that are rated particularly highly due to what they accomplished in the NFL. For instance, Emlen Tunnell--if evaluated purely on what he did at Iowa--probably should be rated outside the top 30, but he is one of the greatest NFL DBs of all time, so he got credit for his pro career when I made the list originally.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
Without Chuck Long what would have Iowa been in the mid 80s? Remember this guy played in 5 bowls I think ain't nobody breaking that record. He wasn't just a 1 or 2 yr starter. He and Fry are tied at the hip for elevating the program out of the dark ages. We haven't had a qb before or since that can say they've had that impact. We've had a few that have had a good season here and there. But nobody had been dominant and done it multiple years. Unlike Banks who had zero hype around him going into his senior year. Chuck had all the hype in the world and lived up to it. If it'd have been any other year and not going up against Bo Jackson he'd have brought the Heisman home too....
Click to expand...

Let's not get too hasty. Yes, Chuck Long was a great QB at Iowa. His backup for three years wasn't too bad. Mark Vlasic was drafted by San Diego.
 
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