Iowa Hawkeyes Football
Iowa Hawkeyes Football
The University of Iowa’s Hawkeyes football program was officially created in 1889. They were invited to join the Big Ten Conference (at the time, it was known as the Western Conference) in 1899. Since then, the Hawkeyes football team has served as the home for a number of pivotal players and coaches. The team has participated in a large number of Bowl games and championship events. They’ve also seen dozens of players inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame, State of Iowa Sports Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Below, we’ll provide an overview of some important players and coaches that played a key role in the Hawkeyes’ success. We’ll also take a brief look at the 2008-2009 Outback Bowl game.
Notable Players And Coaches
Shonn Green currently plays for the Hawkeyes and was given the Doak Walker Award in 2008. He was also a Big Ten MVP during that same year. Dallas Clark had his first on-field game experience in 2000. At the end of that season, he was placed in a tight end position, where he performed remarkably. In 2002, he was awarded the John Mackey Award and the following year, he was drafted onto the Indianapolis Colts.
Chad Greenway played with the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2002 through 2005. He was moved to a linebacker position in 2003 and was named the Big Ten Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week. The following year, he won several additional awards and was drafted onto the Minnesota Vikings in 2006.
Hayden Fry was hired in 1978 as Iowa’s 25th head coach of the Hawkeyes football team. He ended his tenure by stepping down in 1998 after several Bowl game appearances and Big Ten titles. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Kirk Ferentz was hired to take Fry’s place as the Hawkeyes’ head coach. In 2004, he led the team to win the Capital One Bowl. The following year, he was named the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year and continues to fill the head coach role today.
The 2008-2009 Outback Bowl Game
The 23rd Outback Bowl game pits the Iowa Hawkeyes against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Both teams, at the time of writing, are unranked. Though the Gamecocks are the visiting team, Iowans still remember the South Carolina track team pitching in to help sandbag against the Des Moines flooding earlier in the year. Indeed, many Hawkeyes fans are rooting for both teams.
While the Hawkeyes have enjoyed a long career of measured success, their toughest battles may still lie ahead. Shonn Green, as formidable a player as he is, will eventually graduate. Cultivating talent from within the team’s ranks may soon become Ferentz’s biggest priority.
