I'm going to miss Ak

[Northside Hawk]

AK was/is a special one...the Harmon comparison is pretty good. The moves and elusiveness were something to watch. Dwight was a great one too...but more a simple burner.

As for the infamous Harmon Rose Bowl episode...I'm still torn on it. It was no secret that Harmon...an east coast guy...had a little attitude toward the "simple" people of the Midwest. He was a city boy through and through. So I could see him rationalizing it. (curiously, his little brother Kevin was much more accessible and humble despite similar upbringings.)

On the other hand, a number of UCLA defenders have said they saw on film that Harmon was vulnerable to fumbles the way he carried the ball and they went after the ball by design. He had similar issues with the Bills. (that doesn't explain the dropped pass of course). But I'm sure guys were going after the ball all season and he didn't fumble like that.

I dunno. If he was open to being bought, you almost have to ask how did he end up at IOWA...which opens a can of worms none of us want to consider.

BUT...Wadley was a great one. And I think his big plays will be sorely missed this fall.

Bernie Wyatt was the assistant coach who had the east coast connection. Ronnie and Kevin, Nate Creer, Devon Mitchell, Leroy Smith, Danan Hughes, Tony Stewart and many others were among his recruits. He got further assistance from Alvarez and Ferentz, the Pennsylvania natives. (Could Hayden put a staff together, or what?)

When Barry took the Wisconsin job, as soon as he hired Dan McCarney as his DC, they coaxed Wyatt to jump the ship. He wanted someone with those NYC/Jersey connections.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Bernie Wyatt was the assistant coach who had the east coast connection. Ronnie and Kevin, Nate Creer, Devon Mitchell, Leroy Smith, Danan Hughes, Tony Stewart and many others were among his recruits. He got further assistance from Alvarez and Ferentz, the Pennsylvania natives. (Could Hayden put a staff together, or what?)

When Barry took the Wisconsin job, as soon as he hired Dan McCarney as his DC, they coaxed Wyatt to jump the ship. He wanted someone with those NYC/Jersey connections.

ah yes. Bernie was a great East Coast connection. Thanks for refreshing my memory...I should have known that.

 

[Northside Hawk]

ah yes. Bernie was a great East Coast connection. Thanks for refreshing my memory...I should have known that.

Wadley himself was a Jersey guy. When we played at Rutgers in 2016 the broadcasters mentioned about 1,768 times that it was a Wadley homecoming. On cue, his nifty TD dash up the near sideline iced what was a surprisingly taut game.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Wadley himself was a Jersey guy. When we played at Rutgers in 2016 the broadcasters mentioned about 1,768 times that it was a Wadley homecoming. On cue, his nifty TD dash up the near sideline iced what was a surprisingly taut game.

Yep. But recruiting guys from across the country was a bigger deal 30-35 years ago than it is today. (especially when IOWA football wasn't exactly a "name" program) The world wasn't as "small". Wyatt was a key player for the talent pipeline under Hayden. Man, did Hayden know how to assemble a staff. He'd have been successful at any business.

 

[earlkoppelman]

Yep. But recruiting guys from across the country was a bigger deal 30-35 years ago than it is today. (especially when IOWA football wasn't exactly a "name" program) The world wasn't as "small". Wyatt was a key player for the talent pipeline under Hayden. Man, did Hayden know how to assemble a staff. He'd have been successful at any business.

Coach Fry was dedicated to Winning.A success in any field.Recruits Mom's loved his Boots when he showed up. Don Patterson talks about this on podcasts.A group of winning Hawks.But Hawk players today and always tough no?

 

[SteveGarvey1]

The first one was the killer, first and goal inside the ten, and the most suspicious.

I believe at least two others would have been overturned with modern Instant Replay. They were borderline. Give UCLA credit for spotting something in the films, just like they did with all that misdirection counter to Eric Ball.

But yeah, the dropped TD. And the half back option pass to the trombone player. Then the news, months later, that Norby Walters and Lloyd Bloom were snooping around. A very polarizing debate after that game, was he or wasn't he?

I was a sophomore that year and my neighbor in the dorm was a student manager. My opinion is that something went down. Just don't know how much. You'd have to be naive not to suspect something.

The first one was definitely the most suspicious. Looked like he held the ball out on purpose so UCLA could easily strip it. Like you said, two of them would have been overturned with replay.

Hard to believe he would have sold his teammates out like that but hard to believe somewhat that he could have had such a performance meltdown in such a big game.

 

[homes]

Always thought they underutilized him as a pass catcher coming out of the backfield while he was moving. He is so elusive and sneaky fast. That ISU catch and run this past year still makes me smile, same with the Penn State catch. That pinhead ref who took the TD away at NTS this past year - cost AW a tie of the TD record, I think. One of my favorite Hawkeyes.

 

[earlkoppelman]

Always thought they underutilized him as a pass catcher coming out of the backfield while he was moving. He is so elusive and sneaky fast. That ISU catch and run this past year still makes me smile, same with the Penn State catch. That pinhead ref who took the TD away at NTS this past year - cost AW a tie of the TD record, I think. One of my favorite Hawkeyes.

Underused huh? As its said "underused huh?" that is putting it MILDLY....Don Patterson stated that Mr.Akrum split waay wide a good option of of ATTACKING Box.Even The Dreaded GD used our Ronnie H. Type player better.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Always thought they underutilized him as a pass catcher coming out of the backfield while he was moving. He is so elusive and sneaky fast. That ISU catch and run this past year still makes me smile, same with the Penn State catch. That pinhead ref who took the TD away at NTS this past year - cost AW a tie of the TD record, I think. One of my favorite Hawkeyes.

Ronnie Harmon actually played wide receiver his first two years at Iowa as Eddie Phillips and Owen Gill handled running back duties. Ronnie, as a true freshman, caught two TD in the Peach Bowl; one was a leaping catch in the back corner of the end zone on third down where Chuck Long has admitted he was trying to throw the ball away to preserve the field goal. He made a great catch and run as a sophomore at Penn State to provide the eventually margin of victory in a high scoring shootout.

Ronnie, now playing running back, broke his leg against Wisconsin late in his junior year when we were still in contention for the Rose Bowl and he was sorely missed in losses to MSU and Minnesota. He missed out on the fun in the trashing of Texas in the Freedom Bowl, which Chuck Long turned into an arena football game.

 

[earlkoppelman]

Two of the best, but just out of curiosity would you include Tim Dwight in that picture?

Of Course.Those 3 as "SPECIAL" players are in a special category of their own. They will always be Hardcore tough.Gamechangers....

 

[hawkeyebob62]

I wonder how much that had to tear at his soul... I mean imagine his teammates and coaches after that maybe even to this day how they still feel about it. If I were a player on that team and he sold the team out like that on me/us.... I mean it's the reason why you don't do it. Screw the rules or even the laws. How about just the fact your selling out all your teammates & coaches you went to battle with the whole season/career with. It's pretty much unforgivable to me anyway...

Much as I never wanted to believe it...

Has he ever been back or "featured" at any events"? Been an honorary captain? Been at any reunions/events honoring the 1985 team?

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Much as I never wanted to believe it...

Has he ever been back or "featured" at any events"? Been an honorary captain? Been at any reunions/events honoring the 1985 team?

Good question. I've never seen where he has or any talk/articles on it. Maybe Rob Howe would know or could find out if he sees this.

 

[Seth53]

Wondering if AW has a stud brother like RH did?

 

[proudhawkfan21]

Harmon was the better back. Not only had elusiveness but ran with more power. Enjoyed watching both.

Hopefully someone will step up and feel the gap.

Agreed. Love Akrum but....Harmon was a beast. Short of the Rose Bowl game, he would be on Olympus for Iowa. Look at his whole career, Iowa and the NFL, not many can approach that success at Iowa. Ladell Betts and Shonn Greene are the only other successful NFL backs in my lifetime from the Hawks.

 

[Seth53]

 

[earlkoppelman]

Wondering if AW has a stud brother like RH did?

He said once.A younger brother real good.

 

[skinnykilmer17]

Much as I never wanted to believe it...

Has he ever been back or "featured" at any events"? Been an honorary captain? Been at any reunions/events honoring the 1985 team?

I saw him a few years later during a game. He came up to the section where I was sitting. He was chatting with Bill Happel. He was down on the field, walking through the stands, but I don't recall a special recognition day or anything. Could have been.

I recall thinking at the time that IF he did throw that game (and I am in the NO camp), it took a lot of balls to walk through Kinnick like that. ??

That era with Long, Harmon, Station et al were so very special and the stadium so electric. Re Ronnie: he could stop, start and change directions on a dime and accelerate so quickly from one of those moves. Unbelievable vision.
Akrum has great vision but a different kind of runner IMO. More swivel to his hips and more of a slasher than Ronnie. Runs more straight ahead and upright. Akrum reminds more of Tavian Banks. But both Akrum and Ronnie played faster than their timed speed because of their ability to make initial guys miss. Defenders were on their heels alot not wanting to overcommit. Didn't usually work.

So Ronnie caught like 52 balls his senior year. Akrum had half of that. Our split end last year averaged 10 yds per catch. What might Akrum have averaged last year if he had been in that role more?
Or used differently and more of a weapon?

And I don't want to hear about our inexperienced first year OC. He had seen what Akrum's strengths and weaknesses were. For years. And it wasn't running into 9 man fronts to the short side of the field.

What is more surprising is preseason last year KF went on (for him at least) about the similarities between Ronnie and Akrum. And BF remarked how they needed to use Akrum as more of a threat. ?? It really never materialized. Butler went down but there was talent behind him. We see YOUNG running backs all over the country succeed. It is the position where you literally need the least development. But not in KF's world.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

One thing about AK is that he did with hard work. Came in on a shoestring. Worked hard. Now he's trying the NFL.

 

[homes]

One of my favorites. Agree with those that feel he was underutilized, particularly in the passing game.

 

[HawkGold]

AK was/is a special one...the Harmon comparison is pretty good. The moves and elusiveness were something to watch. Dwight was a great one too...but more a simple burner.

As for the infamous Harmon Rose Bowl episode...I'm still torn on it. It was no secret that Harmon...an east coast guy...had a little attitude toward the "simple" people of the Midwest. He was a city boy through and through. So I could see him rationalizing it. (curiously, his little brother Kevin was much more accessible and humble despite similar upbringings.)

On the other hand, a number of UCLA defenders have said they saw on film that Harmon was vulnerable to fumbles the way he carried the ball and they went after the ball by design. He had similar issues with the Bills. (that doesn't explain the dropped pass of course). But I'm sure guys were going after the ball all season and he didn't fumble like that.

I dunno. If he was open to being bought, you almost have to ask how did he end up at IOWA...which opens a can of worms none of us want to consider.

BUT...Wadley was a great one. And I think his big plays will be sorely missed this fall.

UCLA also said they knew what Iowa was running most of the time.