Here’s all the former Hawks in the NFL

There’s only two things wrong with college football: the season is too short and the players don’t stay nearly long enough. Knowing your favorite players will only be around for four years is disheartening, but don’t worry – some go on to play in the big leagues. Below is a list of some Hawkeye fan favorites that made it into the National Football League.

Ricky Stanzi

“Stanzi the Manzi”, as he’s better known, was the starting QB for the Hawkeyes from 2008-2010. He led Iowa to their first ever 9-0 start, followed by a win in the 2009 Orange Bowl. He was drafted by the Chiefs in 2011 and stayed as their second string gunslinger for two years before he was cut and eventually signed by the Lions. In the 2015 season, while the Lions were in dismay, Stanzi had a real shot at getting some playing time in Detroit. Unfortunately, he was cut after 2015 and hasn’t made a roster since. Either way, he’ll be remembered as our almost-Tom-Brady QB1.

Micah Hyde

Micah Hyde, who perhaps has the most fun name to say of any on this list, played cornerback for Iowa from 2008-2012. He may be remembered most for scoring his first TD after taking a lateral from Tyler Sash to the house against Michigan State, because after the fancy footwork on the return he started returning punts for the remainder of his career at Iowa. He was drafted by the Packers (boo) in 2013 and has played for them since then, and currently is tied for the most returned punts for a TD in Packers history.

Shonn Greene

It still physically pains me to write about Shonn Greene after he decided to enter the NFL Draft in 2009 following his junior year, but here we are. Shonn started at RB for the Hawks from 2008-2009, helping win the Orange Bowl in 2009 and winning the Doak Walker Award for best collegiate running back. In his final season, he was a unanimous first-team All-American and finished with 20 touchdowns. He was expected to return after winning the Orange Bowl, but decided to head to the NFL. He was drafted by the Jets, but wound up on the Titans before he was cut for the final time. If only he would have stayed for his senior season…

Brandon Scherff

Linemen typically get little to no recognition in the NFL, but Hawkeye fans everywhere know who Scherff is when they see it on a jersey. Brandon played for Iowa from 2010-2014, starting at left tackle for most of his career. He was revered as the best interior lineman in college football after his junior year, but unlike Shonn Greene, he stayed to help out the Hawks for his senior year. After the 2014 season, he won the Outland Trophy, an award given to the best lineman in the country. He was drafted by the Redskins in the first round of the Draft, and has stayed true as a ground-and-pound Hawk from the beginning.

CJ Fiedorowicz

CJ Fiedorowicz, who perhaps has the most challenging name to say of any of this list (it’s pronounced Fed-or-o-witz, by the way), played tight end for the Hawks from 2010-2013. As a four-star recruit and ranked as the fifth best tight end in the country coming out of high school, him deciding to come play for the Hawks was possibly the biggest news in the state of Iowa all year. He was one of James Vandenberg’s favorite targets for three years, and he was eventually drafted by the Texans in 2014. He’s even caught two TD passes this year already. That’s pretty neat.

Adrian Clayborn

Clayborn, who could easily win most likely to be a pirate based on how gnarly that beard is, played for Iowa from 2007-2011, helping the Hawks win the Orange Bowl alongside Stanzi and Greene in 2009. I’ll always remember Adrian for blocking a punt and returning it for six against #5 Penn State in 2009, a game Iowa eventually won. He was drafted by the Buccaneers (pirate) in 2011, but was traded to the Falcons in 2014. He just signed a two-year nine million dollar contract with Atlanta in March, so be ready to cheer on another Hawk for the next few years.

Dallas Clark

Although his name is Dallas, Clark was born and raised in South Dakota before attending Iowa as a tight end from 1999-2002. In his senior season, Dallas was granted a full-scholarship before leading Iowa to our first ever undefeated conference schedule and a Big Ten Championship. He was granted the John Mackey Award for best tight end in all of college football, and was also a unanimous first-team All-American. He was drafted by the Colts in 2002, and stayed in the NFL for 12 years before signing a one-day contract with Indianapolis to retire as a Colt in 2014.

Marvin McNutt

Marvin McNutt, who unfortunately never signed a contract with McDonalds to sponsor their line of peanuts, played receiver for Iowa from 2008-2011. He was actually recruited as a QB coming out of high school, but was transitioned to a running back before finding his niche at wide out in the 2009 season. He was drafted by the Eagles in 2011, and bounced around to the Dolphins and Panthers before being released in 2013. He’s not finished with football, though, as he was just signed as the head coach of the Cedar Rapids Titans earlier this month.

Chuck Long

Many of you millennials reading this article that aren’t huge Iowa Football fans have probably never heard the name Chuck Long before, but trust me, he played for us. As the starting QB for Iowa from 1981-1985, Long led us to a Rose Bowl appearance and a Big Ten Championship during his career. In his senior season, he was nearly the second Hawkeye to win the Heisman, coming in second to Bo Jackson. Let me repeat that: Bo Jackson… He may be most remembered for leading Iowa on a 66 yard scoring drive to beat #2 Michigan in Kinnick, keeping the Hawks as reigning #1 in the nation. He was drafted in the first round by the Lions, and stayed in the NFL from 1987-1991.

Tyler Sash

I spent several days thinking about how to write about Tyler Sash in this article. I wrote nearly two pages of drafts before it hit me that he wouldn’t want that kind of special treatment – he’d want to be remembered as a player. Tyler Sash played safety for Iowa from 2007-2010, recording 13 interceptions in three seasons, just five interceptions short of the Iowa record. He was drafted by the Giants in the 6th round of the 2011 draft, winning a Super Bowl ring with New York that same season. He finished his career with the Giants in 2013. In September 2015, a shockwave was sent through the Hawkeye community as the news of Tyler’s death was released. Taken from us far too soon, he lives on in our hearts as a member of the Hawkeye family forever.