JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Links, Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes from the Weekend in Hawkeye Sports and Media:
Pat Harty put together his list of the 10 Best Players from the Kirk Ferentz Era. I've got no beef with his picks one through seven and you can make an argument for his 8, 9 and 10 which include Marvin McNutt, Brad Banks and Shonn Greene. These debates are tough to 'win'. McNutt is the best receiver of the Ferentz era and one of the best Iowa receivers in 20 years, yet I would debate DJK was just as good if not better and in tandem they were the best duo. Shonn Greene had the best rushing season in Iowa history. Does that make him one of the 10 best Ferentz era players? Same with Brad Banks; do you weight the one-off factor or go with the career? It would be hard for me to leave Jonathon Babineaux or Mitch King off of this list. I'd want both of them on my Hawkeye defensive line of the Ferentz era. I'd want Matt Roth and Adrian Clayborn, too. I'd wind up weight things too heavy on the defensive line but when I think of the Ferentz era, that's the position I think of first as it relates to why Iowa has won when they have won. What would your list look like?
Nate Kaeding retired from professional football last week and Mike Hlas put together a list of his injuries along with those of Bob Sanders and Robert Gallery. The three players were drafted in the 2004 draft following the 2003 Iowa football season. Gallery went #2 overall, Sanders went in the second round and Kaeding in the third round.
All three players earned millions of dollars playing football. Gallery had the big payday right away and Sanders got his during his second contract. While Kaeding suffered ACL and groin injuries over the past year, he'll probably be able to more ably 'walk away' from the game much easier than Gallery and Sanders.
When Sanders was a junior at Iowa, I recall saying the following: Bob Sanders will not play in the NFL. Not because he doesn't have the talent, but because he plays with zero regard for his own well being.
I was mostly wrong. He did play in the NFL and was the league's Defensive MVP in 2007, which still blows my mind. But he was fearless and I would not want to feel how he feels getting out of bed right now, and he is in his early 30's.
Three great players...three all time Iowa football players...all now retired and I feel an older 42 today.
Harty also penned this item that talks about the Prime Time League which will tip off next month in North Liberty. Devyn Marble may not play much and Melsahn Basabe is going to be back in New York for a good portion of the summer so he won't play. Peter Jok will be a part in the league, as will the rest of the team. PTL games will take place on Thursday and Sundays and my guess is this summer will see more Hawkeye fans trying to pack the North Liberty Community Center than ever before as this Iowa team may be ranked in the pre-season for the first time in over a decade.
Speaking of Jok, Scott Dochterman of The Gazette has some quotes from Fran McCaffery and Assistant Kirk Speraw. While Jok led the state in scoring last year, I don't expect him to come in and be any sort of savior. Last year at this time, I felt the expectations on Adam Woodbury were too high and if he averaged 5 points per game, that would be solid for a rookie center. I think Jok's biggest problem will be minutes; there just won't be a lot of minutes this year unless he comes in and lights it up. This year, Jok's role will be to come in and hit some three-point shots when he sees the floor. It's going to be fun to watch how he assimilates in the PTL. Anthony Clemmons played better in season than he showed in the PTL, if you will recall.
My friend Rob Howe at HawkeyeInsider.com asks an interesting question: Are Kirk Ferentz and Greg Davis on the same page as it relates to the no-huddle aspects of Iowa's offense? Davis has told I-Club gatherings that Iowa will use more no huddle and that there will be the need to huddle up 'at times'. Ferentz has spoken less glowingly about the no-huddle. During Iowa's spring game last week, they went no huddle from start to stern.
It will be interesting to see what happens, but I have had several people tell me that Iowa ran an offense in the spring of 1999 that looked nothing like what they went with in the fall, which is pretty much what you have seen Iowa do for the past 14 years. The offense they were running in the spring of 1999 was more open than the pro-style attack Iowa has run through the years.
My guess is Iowa will use more no-huddle. I also don't think Ferentz was thrilled to go with a spring game format. My guess is the Big Ten put a little pressure on Iowa in that regard from a television standpoint. I wonder when the word came down?
THE LINKS
Campers mingle with their Hawkeye heroes | Hawk Central
Photos: Camp Courageous Visits Kinnick Stadium | Hawk Central
Morris not ruling out public office | Hawk Central
Iowa and Michigan State want tight end named Izzo | TheGazette
Harty: Future looks bright for Kaeding | Hawk Central
Pat Harty put together his list of the 10 Best Players from the Kirk Ferentz Era. I've got no beef with his picks one through seven and you can make an argument for his 8, 9 and 10 which include Marvin McNutt, Brad Banks and Shonn Greene. These debates are tough to 'win'. McNutt is the best receiver of the Ferentz era and one of the best Iowa receivers in 20 years, yet I would debate DJK was just as good if not better and in tandem they were the best duo. Shonn Greene had the best rushing season in Iowa history. Does that make him one of the 10 best Ferentz era players? Same with Brad Banks; do you weight the one-off factor or go with the career? It would be hard for me to leave Jonathon Babineaux or Mitch King off of this list. I'd want both of them on my Hawkeye defensive line of the Ferentz era. I'd want Matt Roth and Adrian Clayborn, too. I'd wind up weight things too heavy on the defensive line but when I think of the Ferentz era, that's the position I think of first as it relates to why Iowa has won when they have won. What would your list look like?
Nate Kaeding retired from professional football last week and Mike Hlas put together a list of his injuries along with those of Bob Sanders and Robert Gallery. The three players were drafted in the 2004 draft following the 2003 Iowa football season. Gallery went #2 overall, Sanders went in the second round and Kaeding in the third round.
All three players earned millions of dollars playing football. Gallery had the big payday right away and Sanders got his during his second contract. While Kaeding suffered ACL and groin injuries over the past year, he'll probably be able to more ably 'walk away' from the game much easier than Gallery and Sanders.
When Sanders was a junior at Iowa, I recall saying the following: Bob Sanders will not play in the NFL. Not because he doesn't have the talent, but because he plays with zero regard for his own well being.
I was mostly wrong. He did play in the NFL and was the league's Defensive MVP in 2007, which still blows my mind. But he was fearless and I would not want to feel how he feels getting out of bed right now, and he is in his early 30's.
Three great players...three all time Iowa football players...all now retired and I feel an older 42 today.
Harty also penned this item that talks about the Prime Time League which will tip off next month in North Liberty. Devyn Marble may not play much and Melsahn Basabe is going to be back in New York for a good portion of the summer so he won't play. Peter Jok will be a part in the league, as will the rest of the team. PTL games will take place on Thursday and Sundays and my guess is this summer will see more Hawkeye fans trying to pack the North Liberty Community Center than ever before as this Iowa team may be ranked in the pre-season for the first time in over a decade.
Speaking of Jok, Scott Dochterman of The Gazette has some quotes from Fran McCaffery and Assistant Kirk Speraw. While Jok led the state in scoring last year, I don't expect him to come in and be any sort of savior. Last year at this time, I felt the expectations on Adam Woodbury were too high and if he averaged 5 points per game, that would be solid for a rookie center. I think Jok's biggest problem will be minutes; there just won't be a lot of minutes this year unless he comes in and lights it up. This year, Jok's role will be to come in and hit some three-point shots when he sees the floor. It's going to be fun to watch how he assimilates in the PTL. Anthony Clemmons played better in season than he showed in the PTL, if you will recall.
My friend Rob Howe at HawkeyeInsider.com asks an interesting question: Are Kirk Ferentz and Greg Davis on the same page as it relates to the no-huddle aspects of Iowa's offense? Davis has told I-Club gatherings that Iowa will use more no huddle and that there will be the need to huddle up 'at times'. Ferentz has spoken less glowingly about the no-huddle. During Iowa's spring game last week, they went no huddle from start to stern.
It will be interesting to see what happens, but I have had several people tell me that Iowa ran an offense in the spring of 1999 that looked nothing like what they went with in the fall, which is pretty much what you have seen Iowa do for the past 14 years. The offense they were running in the spring of 1999 was more open than the pro-style attack Iowa has run through the years.
My guess is Iowa will use more no-huddle. I also don't think Ferentz was thrilled to go with a spring game format. My guess is the Big Ten put a little pressure on Iowa in that regard from a television standpoint. I wonder when the word came down?
THE LINKS
Campers mingle with their Hawkeye heroes | Hawk Central
Photos: Camp Courageous Visits Kinnick Stadium | Hawk Central
Morris not ruling out public office | Hawk Central
Iowa and Michigan State want tight end named Izzo | TheGazette
Harty: Future looks bright for Kaeding | Hawk Central
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