You love the Hawkeyes..but what's your story?

Grew up just a short hop from I.C. In those days you could easily sneak into the stadium and toss the ball around and kick field goals until somebody saw you. We did that a number of times.

My first game was the day the stadium was dedicated as "Kinnick Stadium".

And I was in the Marching Band during the magical season of 1981 when it all turned around and we ended up in Pasadena. Still one of the most memorable seasons ever...and an incredible week in California.

FYI, sneaking into the stadium at night wasn't too tough either. I made a late night visit with my "Lois Quam" to the Gold "I" on the 50 yard line. Turf burns are painful.
 
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Born and raised on Des Moines' east side, graduated from DM East High School in 1964.
Earliest recollections of Hawkeye football was the 1955 season when my dad attended a game in Ia. City and brought home the program that I poured over. Watched the Ed Sullivan show sometime late Fall and saw Cal Jones as a member of the Look Magazine All America team (He won the Outland Trophy that year also).

Listened on the radio to the '56 game against OSU that we won and got us into the '57 Rose Bowl.

First attended a Hawkeye game in '58 against NW, which we won.

Most memorable game that I attended was the '60 OSU game. We had been ranked No. 1 in the country the week before and lost to No. 2 MN in Minneapolis. We STOMPED OSU 35-12 and Purdue beat MN to give us a share of the conference title.

I declined a football scholarship at Iowa when I gained an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Endured the football misfortunes in the 60s and 70s sort of switching to following the Hawk's wrestling success when Dan Gable came to Iowa City.

Left Iowa in 1964 and spent a career in the Army, but remain a fanatic fan of football and wrestling programs.

Now semi retired, looking forward to getting back to Iowa to do some deer hunting with my nephews and eventually getting to a game in Ia City.
 
My father is an Iowa graduate 1964 and I am an Iowa graduate 1992 started attending Iowa football games with my father in 81 and have been loyal hawk since. I have attended everygame since the 93 season home and away plus bowls it is part of my life and will always be. GO Hawks!!!!
 
Was born into a Hawkeye family. Both parents graduated from Iowa. My grandmother has lived in Iowa City since the 50's and went to my first game in 88 or so. I was a Hawkeye football player for Halloween from age 4 until my uniform/costume/helmet didn't fit. Started school at the U of I in 2002. My sister, 2 of my cousins, mom, dad, all my aunts on my mom's side went to Iowa. (all at different times). I tried out and became Herky the Hawkeye in 2003 and kept on with that until 2005, so let's just say that the Hawkeye force is strong with this one! Have not missed a Hawkeye football game since 1999. All bodily fluids in my body are black and gold.
 
Now THIS is a thread. Great reading all the Hawk stories. For me, I don't remember how I became a Hawk, but growing up in Northeast Iowa it was probably due to them being on tv the most. It started with basketball though, that much I can remember. BJ, Horton, Gamble, Stokes, Payne, Carfino, Burkenpass, etc. I can remember going to basketball camp at Iowa when I was like 10 years old and being in the training room when Andre Banks sat down right beside me. I can remember being at a baseball camp and my host family took me to Iowa City for the first time, I remember asking "where the Hawkeyes are at?". Yeah, it's good to be a Hawk. Theres nothing else...
 
Born into a "Hawkeye family growing up in NE Iowa. I was baptized into the Hawkeye family listening to the "infamous" 1953 ND game at our TGving gathering. All the men were standing around the radio and groaning from time to time and I asked them how their team was doing and my cousin said.."hey that is YOUR TEAM Too!" Attended my first game in 1956 and had a seat in the west stands one row from the top on the N 35 yard line....The view on a sun splashed Indian summer day on a Saturday in late October is beyond description. Is this Iowa? No, this is a little bit of heaven! They say you have not lived until you have seen a Cubs game at Wrigley or Red Sox game at Fenway....I will say you have not lived until you have seen an Iowa game in person....We listened to the colorful Tait Cummings and the great Frank Carideo who's descriptions of the games were always perspicacious and poetic. Looking back, I am eternally grateful that I was born into this experience.
 
When I was a kid, I would sleep with a football, wake up at 7 am and would go outside and practice my diving catches and goal line leaps until kickoff.

We didn't have a lot of money but my dad got tickets to an Iowa-Mn game in the early 90's I was 11 0r 12. We got an inch or two of snow and my dad told me to wear my coveralls and boots so I wore my tennis shoes. I though it would be dorky to wear my boots. We got to the game and the students were throwing snowballs at the Mn marching band. Anyway I got too cold so we had to go stand in the bathroom to try and warm up. I may have gotten frost bite but it was a good day with my dad.

Also the Hawkeye-Bandag roundball roundup was pretty cool. It was a free basketball camp in Muscatine. Mr. Davis and the coaching staff would teach us that famous baseline bounce pass to the post. Good times
 
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imported_red38 said:
Born into a "Hawkeye family growing up in NE Iowa. I was baptized into the Hawkeye family listening to the "infamous" 1953 ND game at our TGving gathering. All the men were standing around the radio and groaning from time to time and I asked them how their team was doing and my cousin said.."hey that is YOUR TEAM Too!" Attended my first game in 1956 and had a seat in the west stands one row from the top on the N 35 yard line....The view on a sun splashed Indian summer day on a Saturday in late October is beyond description. Is this Iowa? No, this is a little bit of heaven! They say you have not lived until you have seen a Cubs game at Wrigley or Red Sox game at Fenway....I will say you have not lived until you have seen an Iowa game in person....We listened to the colorful Tait Cummings and the great Frank Carideo who's descriptions of the games were always perspicacious and poetic. Looking back, I am eternally grateful that I was born into this experience.
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This is a magnificent recollection! Thank you very much for posting, red!!
 
Grew up near IC and like 98% of other Iowans my parents were smart enough to bring me up a Hawkeye. Only one college choice for me.
 
Not really much to tell here. I grew up in Sioux City, and my parents were rabid Hawkeye Hoops fans so I just naturally fell into it. I become more of a football fan of my own accord. So I guess I'm a Hawkeye fan because I grew up with Hawkeye sports on the t.v. all winter..

My earliest memories were Raveling's basketball teams, #1 Iowa over #2 Michigan with Houghtlin's last second FG, and the 1986-87 basketball team breaking my heart in the Elite 8.
 
ColoradoHAWKEYE said:
Ahh...The people you meet and then call "friends"...LOL...[Going to see some of those guys from the Dog House this weekend at Indy game. You need to come up next year for sure. I am also sure we will toast one to you]...

...I just wanted to add, if you remember, that you and I (and Sandy) also literally "held up" my brother so he could face the field, as we stood just behind the goal post of the '85 Haughtlin KICK. I think that is when he was hooked, but he just doesn't remember it (even if he was the first one on the greased goalpost crossbar)!!
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He literally PILED into our row that day, and knocked down/took out about four freshman girls. The guys behind us were pouring rum-and-coke into our mouths out of botas that tasted more like the bota. I was dangerously close to hurling into the row in front of me.

I still get incensed at Long just stood there looking at the clock waiting to call the time-out. I still subscribe to "never throw away a play". We could have run a TD-attempt play! Of course, I "forgave" Long and Hayden when the kick sailed straight at us for the win!
 
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