How/why did you become a Hawkeye fan?

I

ICbornNraised

Well-Known Member
I just ask the question after reading the "Will Iowa State win a National Title" thread. I just sit here and think how happy I am that I didn't grow up a Clown.

Mines boring. I was born, raised, and went to school at Iowa.

Anything more interesting?
 
My father never played football but he has been a lifetime fan. He used to go see games during the "knot hole" days. I remember him listening to games when I was young, but I never paid much attention to the Hawkeyes, until I moved back into the area in 2001.
 
My family used to live in Denton, TX, the home of North Texas State University (at that time). My Dad was on the board or something higher up of the Green Machine, their equivalent to our I-Club. So he and Hayden got to be pals. Hayden found his way to Iowa, as did our family (back to where my parents grew up) and Dad always kept in contact with him. My older sister went to Iowa and I wanted to always march with the HMB. Whenever I would run into Hayden, whether it was at Pizza Hut (now THAT is sort of a funny story, I was a waiter and Hayden came in by himself), and Randall's Grocery Store, or at HMB/I-Club events, he would always mention my Dad and our family. So for me, I was young enough when we moved to Iowa that I have just always have been a Hawkeye fan. As for my Dad and family, they became Hawkeye fans because of Hayden.
 
Grew up in north Iowa. I was just a kid when my dad went outside and cranked the TV aerial to pick up the Rochester, MN station so we could watch the '57 Rose Bowl. I was hooked for life.
 
Its all I've ever known really. Passed down by my Dad.

Basically, if you live in Iowa and like football, the normal thing to do is root for Iowa.
 
Last edited:
My dad had season tickets in the 70's. He started taking me to games when I was little. In fact, he took me to road games all over the B10. I had t shirts from every school before those types of things were readily available at any mall.

My dad has long sense passed away, but I still have his season tickets, and love the hawks.

I also am an alum.

Go hawks, and thanks, Dad.
 
Xerxes said:
Basically, if you live in Iowa and like football, the normal thing to do is root for Iowa.
Click to expand...

That's the truth. I started going to High School in Iowa when I was 14, having lived the summer before school in the Rock Island Arsenal family housing, and before that living in upstate New York. Trust me, in Eastern Iowa, if you want to assimilate with other guys, it is important to follow Hawkeye football.
 
I didn't know there was anything else when I first started paying attention to what dad was watchin. I was hooked.
 
I specifically remember being outside doing something with my dad on the farm, and he had the '81 game with Nebraska playing on the radio. That was the start, and I just got a little emotional.
 
Parents went to Iowa. We had Iowa stuff around the house, and, dad was always running down ISUx.

We always listened to this guy every Saturday afternoon...rain or shine....began circa late 60's.

jim_zabel.jpg
 
Last edited:
I grew up watching Iowa football and basketball with my dad and older brother (who is now a clown fan because he's a fair weather fan and switched over when the Hawks were going through their rough patch when Ferentz first started. And ended up going to school there and has little brother syndrome, of course). I barely remember it, but we went to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego in '90 (or '91) when I was 5 or 6 when they played BYU and Heisman winner, Ty Detmer, and tied 13-13. I'll never forget how awesome it was when they all ran out on to the field and that moment has stuck with me ever since.
 
I wish I had an answer, but am dumbfounded on why I love the Hawks. I grew up in a small town in North Central Iowa (town of 200), and my high school years were spent listening to Iowa football on the radio. Yes, these were the bad years...18 straight losing seasons. One of my jobs on Saturday's was to paint the floors of the town hall...by hand of course. Listening to Z is my credit for being a Hawk fan. We scored 6 and the floor paid for my celebration. We would lose to Illinois 22-6 and this was a mental victory. I felt great with Z's enthusiasm and love for the game. I wouldn't trade those days for the world. Why am I and most Hawk fans so passionate? Living the hard days and fighting for everything we've ever earned is the RIGHT to be a Hawkeye!
 
Born and raised. Went to ISU for a few semesters and they tried go convert me, thank God that didn't happen. Married an ISU grad and have been able to turn her against ISU. Things are good.
 
My Dad grew up in Green Mountain, Iowa. In 1956 my family came from Califronia where we lived, back to Marshalltown, where my grandparents lived, for a visit and never returned. Even as a young kid, I was a big sports fan. Loved the Los Angeles Angels and Steve Bilko in baseball and the LA Rams in football. Iowa didn't have pro sports, but I was very taken with the pictures and diagrams I saw in the Big Peach of the Iowa football team, who were really coming into their own back then My first winter in Iowa, Iowa beat Oregon St. in the Rose Bowl and I was hooked. Been a fan ever since
 
I grew up in a farm family in farming town in the 80's . The Hawks gave us something to cheer about in a time when many rural Iowans didn't have a whole to be cheerful about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top