Hayden Fry - Memories and Stories

[Herkmeister]

What the hell, it's 114 days until kickoff.

How 'bout a few good Hayden Fry memories and stories for a few laughs.

Here's a good one:

Hayden, the great storyteller, told a bunch of classic stories, including one about his white pants, which he always wore on the sidelines and Chuck Long as a freshman in his first game against Nebraska.

"He was gonna run his first play. I just wanted to get to half so I could make some corrections at halftime. He calls timeout to get to the line of scrimmage and I motioned for him to come over. 'Chuck, what in the world are you doing?' He looked very nervous. It was the only time I saw Chuck nervous in his college career. He got about three feet from me. I always wore white pants so the quarterback could find me. Chuck got about three feet from me and threw up all over the bottom of my white pants and my shoes," Hayden Fry said.

 

[Herkmeister]

Here's another good memory from the past:

 

[83Hawk]

I never met him, but I have been in his office and have a piece of bubble gum from the big glass jar he had on his desk.

 

[Herkmeister]

I tried to find a photo of his Rose Bowl Cowboy Boots. Couldn't find a pic on Google. IIRC those boots might be in the University of Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame building. No pic on there website though.

I do recall they were great boots.

Here's a link to the Hall of Fame's site. Worth a look for sure.

http://hof.hawkeyesports.com/

 

[Baddog-25]

I remember going to Fort Dodge for one of those off-season things. we get there and have to walk down these stairs to the event. at the top of the stairs I see Hayden at the bottom greeting people. so we proceed down the stairs and I'm gonna just walk on by hayden cuz I'm nobody. certainly not a big money donor but Hayden didn't let me by. He reached out and grabbed my hand and shook it, asked me my name & when I told him Skinner (My nickname) he said the only skinner he'd ever heard of was a Muleskinner.. Needless to say after that I was a HUGE Hayden fan & why I am a HUGE Kirk fan as I believe he embodies the same values.

 

[Hawk68]

My father (who raced thoroughbred horses) and I were at an I-club event. He told Hayden that he named one of his horses Hayden's Darling which got a big laugh from him. (this was a controversial thing at the time because Hayden had used the word "darlin" in some remark and a few Iowa women took offense at the term) Hayden later told us that was the third horse that was named after him.

 

[flaiawis]

I had just finished baseball practice and was waiting for the Cam-bus with a bag of ice wrapped around my arm. There wasn't a person in sight. I was startled by a voice that said "Is your arm going to be o.k.?" I turned around and it was Hayden. I told him it was just sore from practice and it would be o.k. He just smiled and said "Happy to hear that" and walked off.
The thing is, he was genuinely concerned about a nobody at the bus stop. Impressed me to no end.

 

[FlickShagwell]

My father (who raced thoroughbred horses) and I were at an I-club event. He told Hayden that he named one of his horses Hayden's Darling which got a big laugh from him. (this was a controversial thing at the time because Hayden had used the word "darlin" in some remark and a few Iowa women took offense at the term) Hayden later told us that was the third horse that was named after him.

You sure it wasn’t “little dumplin’?”

That’s what got him in hot water.

 

[Herkmeister]

You sure it wasn’t “little dumplin’?”

That’s what got him in hot water.

I barely recall that.

 

[hammer742000]

I tried to find a photo of his Rose Bowl Cowboy Boots. Couldn't find a pic on Google. IIRC those boots might be in the University of Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame building. No pic on there website though.

I do recall they were great boots.

Here's a link to the Hall of Fame's site. Worth a look for sure.

http://hof.hawkeyesports.com/

Me and a couple buddies from high school were in Iowa city for the Amanda classic bball tournament eating dinner sat morning at a bonanza when Hayden and his wife walked in to eat. We waited till he was done and asked if he would sign our football jackets which he graciously did and then took time to show us the Rose bowl boots and the whole story with them.

 

[Herkmeister]

Me and a couple buddies from high school were in Iowa city for the Amanda classic bball tournament eating dinner sat morning at a bonanza when Hayden and his wife walked in to eat. We waited till he was done and asked if he would sign our football jackets which he graciously did and then took time to show us the Rose bowl boots and the whole story with them.

Those boots were something. I’m surprised I can’t find them on Google.

Plus, I’m proud to know Hayden liked Bonanza. That made my day.

Oh ya, from where did those boots come? They had to be cool.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

Hayden's success and popularity was about much more than his football coaching acumen. He's a man who knew how to connect with people; a great psychologist who could lead and motivate.

 

[Herkmeister]

I read a great article a number of years ago about the integration of college football. In it, the author said that Hayden would not take the SMU job unless they let him integrate the SW Conference.

Hayden said it took him 2 years to find the right person, a special young man named Jerry Levias. The problems they faced are disgusting to read, but I personally was always extremely proud that our coach played such an important roll in integration.

A number of years ago we were at an event where Hayden was answering questions. I thought I'd do a little bonding with him by asking if the one accomplishment for which he was most proud was integrating the SWC.

Before I could get called on to ask, old Hayden, without prompting, tells the story of his proudest moment in sports. And it was that very thing.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

Hayden wasn't perfect...what coach, what person is? But IMHO it's impossible to give him too much credit for what he did for the University of Iowa. Those who didn't live through it can't appreciate what it was like in Iowa City when Hayden took over. Nearly 20 years of nonwinning seasons, and since that first snap of his tenure in 1979, things have never been the same.

Instead of poor-mouthing the program, Hayden came in and said Iowa would break the Big Two stranglehold that Michigan and Ohio State had on the Big Ten at the time. And that's exactly what he did by winning the conference title in his third year and going to the Rose Bowl when that was still the ultimate for a Big Ten team.

Hayden marketed the program, created the Tiger Hawk, and made Iowa a respected name across the country.

Coach Fry brought pride back to the Hawkeye state, and he did it with class, humor, and a personality as big as Texas. He was the right man in the right place at the right time, and no Iowa fan should ever underestimate his influence.

 

[lus504495]

My mom went to elementary school with his son when they lived in Iowa city... my mom said he was rly shy which is weird when ur dads the head coach but idk...

 

[Herkmeister]

My mom went to elementary school with his son when they lived in Iowa city... my mom said he was rly shy which is weird when ur dads the head coach but idk...

I know very little about his kids. That's interesting.

 

[beans 33]

I met Hayden in 96 at a Polk County I Club function at what is now the Sheraton in West DSM. We had never met so I went and introduced myself and made some comment about hoping "Tommy" and "Zinger" would not be there to ruin his evening. For those who don't know; Tommy used to and still is on most Iowa Football call in shows and Zinger from Burlington used to call in regularly. I then proceeded to do a "Tommy" cleft palate imitation. Hayden enjoyed it and got several players including Matt Sherman over and asked me to repeat my "Tommy", which I complied of course.

 

[Hawk68]

You sure it wasn’t “little dumplin’?”

That’s what got him in hot water.

I guess it could have been, as it was a while back and booze has not been good to my brain, but it has been a lot fun. It easily could have been "Hayden's Dumplin" ( at least I got the D right) By the way, the horse could not run a lick!

You sure it wasn’t “little dumplin’?”

 

[Hawk_4shur]

"One year during pregame warm ups, Iowa was No. 1 and Michigan was No. 2. As a joke. Fry had his guards snap the ball to the punters during pregame and the balls were bouncing everywhere. Fry stood with his arms crossed, trying to keep a straight face. Bo came over, finally said, "Fry, you're not gonna let that guy snap during the game are you?" Fry turned and deadpanned, "Coach Schembechler, we don't plan on punting tonight." Then he walked off. Bo chased him down and, when he caught up with him, offered Fry a piece of gum as a peace offering. Fry grabbed the entire pack and for 10 years, that gum sat on his desk. Just a reminder of Michigan."

 

[bdg8]

My mom went to elementary school with his son when they lived in Iowa city... my mom said he was rly shy which is weird when ur dads the head coach but idk...

I wonder if it is because his dad let him know that as the son of the football coach, he would have more eyes on him and his actions
I think being more guarded is very normal for people in that kids position

 

[SoFla-Hawkeye]

I met Reggie Roby as I was moving into Hillcrest my freshman year. Nearly 20 years later we went back for Reggie's first game at Kinnick in which he wasn't playing. Kirk was coach by then but Hayden was in town for the game. As we walked up to the building Hayden was being interviewed on TV. When he saw Reggie walk by he stopped the interview and immediately began razzing Reggie about being big time and how it took 3 wives and a college buddy to get him back to Iowa City. He came over embraced Reggie like a long lost son and asked about his folks, his siblings (calling each by name), and his children. He then took us inside and proceeded to parade us around the offices making sure everyone knew who Reggie was, what he meant to the Iowa football program, and that the doors would always be open for him. Kirk ribbed them both a bit about Reggie only being a punter and Hayden not having the keys to the office any more. I was then a fly on the wall as we sat in Kirk's office while listening to the 3 of them carry on. I am not sure I have ever met anyone more truly genuine than those 3. That Hayden remembered Reggie's brother and sisters by name was so very impressive. As an aside, we had a very similar experience the first time Reggie worked one of Coach Mac's camps in Ames. Mac asked for everyone by name and told some wonderful Waterloo East stories about recruiting Reggie.

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

I remember going to Fort Dodge for one of those off-season things. we get there and have to walk down these stairs to the event. at the top of the stairs I see Hayden at the bottom greeting people. so we proceed down the stairs and I'm gonna just walk on by hayden cuz I'm nobody. certainly not a big money donor but Hayden didn't let me by. He reached out and grabbed my hand and shook it, asked me my name & when I told him Skinner (My nickname) he said the only skinner he'd ever heard of was a Muleskinner.. Needless to say after that I was a HUGE Hayden fan & why I am a HUGE Kirk fan as I believe he embodies the same values.

Have a story much like one. Went with my Dad to an event. I’m maybe 11 at the time. He calls me over when I tried to sneak by to my seat, asks about why I’m here, am I going to Iowa, who I was with, picks up a publicity photo of himself, puts a nice message on it, says see you in Iowa City in a few years, and then signs and hands to me. Still have that photo.

 

[iowa12]

No one will ever match Hayden. He was genuine, an original and the absolute best. Used to live for every press conference, radio show, Spring game and Fall. He coached at a time when Iowa football came alive and has never been the same

 

[rchawk]

Before a Penn State game, would have been 1983 or '84.

Hayden said, "You know Penn State will be ready for Iowa. The week before us they play William and Mary. The week after Iowa they play Herbert and Lucille."

 

[Herkmeister]

"One year during pregame warm ups, Iowa was No. 1 and Michigan was No. 2. As a joke. Fry had his guards snap the ball to the punters during pregame and the balls were bouncing everywhere. Fry stood with his arms crossed, trying to keep a straight face. Bo came over, finally said, "Fry, you're not gonna let that guy snap during the game are you?" Fry turned and deadpanned, "Coach Schembechler, we don't plan on punting tonight." Then he walked off. Bo chased him down and, when he caught up with him, offered Fry a piece of gum as a peace offering. Fry grabbed the entire pack and for 10 years, that gum sat on his desk. Just a reminder of Michigan."

Never knew Hayden stole Bo’s gum. LOL

 

[KuwaitHawk]

If you want the best of Hayden Fry, read his book - “High Porch Picnic “. Lots of football history he was involved with.

 

[CloydWebb]

First Polk County I-Club smoker after Hayden's hiring. He makes his remarks and then throws it open for questions.

A guy asks how recruiting is going and Hayden replies that they're after a few really good players in "Nerk". The guy looks puzzled and says "Where?" and Hayden gives him one of those "what's the matter with you?" looks, stares right at the guy and starts spelling, "N-e-w-a-r-k.....Nerk!"

Everybody was somewhat enamored of that Texas drawl. We figured if the Coach sounds like that, the team ought to be like Texas or Alabama. Turns out we were kinda correct!

 

[Speedway1]

Met him at a Carroll I Club spring function. He asked my name and what I did for a living had a great few minutes with him. 2 years later attended again and Hayden was there. As I walked up to him he calls me by my first name and asked how things were with the job. Uncanny memory. A truly genuine and great man.

 

[DogBoyRy]

First Polk County I-Club smoker after Hayden's hiring. He makes his remarks and then throws it open for questions.

A guy asks how recruiting is going and Hayden replies that they're after a few really good players in "Nerk". The guy looks puzzled and says "Where?" and Hayden gives him one of those "what's the matter with you?" looks and says "N-e-w-a-r-k.....Nerk!"

Bump elliot said the interview process was more fry asking him questions than bump asking questions.
Bump knew fry was his last and best chance.
Fry had a couple staff guys ready to come with him, recruiting connections, etc.
Bump told him they also thought iowa had connections in jersey ready to help.
Fry asked what the recruiting budget would be.
Elliott says “unlimted. More than your staff can spend”.
Fry says “ deal”.

 

[LuteHawk]

Hayden Fry was an outstanding communicator with
the press. Those reporters around the state of Iowa
were in awe of him. He gave them good story lines
and was extremely quotable. Hayden had fun with
them and they enjoyed him. He was one of a kind.

 

[rchawk]

I remember a Hayden press conference from the 1980s. He said that if anything ever drove him from coaching it would be the injuries to young men. I can't describe it adequately, but the tone of his voice and expression on his face was enough to show how much serious injuries to his players had an impact on him.

Young men ages 18-23 suffering painful injuries, painful rehab, on crutches, and knowing that even after surgery those injuries will come back to them thirty years later.

It's football, a violent sport. Hayden knew you can't protect the human body from all injuries in football. He loved the game but was torn up about what it did to young men on his team.

 

[Kinnick 4 Prez]

First Polk County I-Club smoker after Hayden's hiring. He makes his remarks and then throws it open for questions.

A guy asks how recruiting is going and Hayden replies that they're after a few really good players in "Nerk". The guy looks puzzled and says "Where?" and Hayden gives him one of those "what's the matter with you?" looks and says "N-e-w-a-r-k.....Nerk!"

Bump elliot said the interview process was more fry asking him questions than bump asking questions.
Bump knew fry was his last and best chance.
Fry had a couple staff guys ready to come with him, recruiting connections, etc.
Bump told him they also thought iowa had connections in jersey ready to help.
Fry asked what the recruiting budget would be.
Elliott says “unlimted. More than your staff can spend”.
Fry says “ deal”.

Love the stories on how Bump got all these great coaches to Iowa. If it weren’t for Bump’s brother Pete who was AD at Miami FL Bump may have never interviewed Hayden. Pete wanted Hayden at Miami a few years prior but one booster was against the hiring. Pete told Bump to look at Hayden in the next search. Rest is history.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

I remember a Hayden press conference from the 1980s. He said that if anything ever drove him from coaching it would be the injuries to young men. I can't describe it adequately, but the tone of his voice and expression on his face was enough to show how much serious injuries to his players had an impact on him.

Young men ages 18-23 suffering painful injuries, painful rehab, on crutches, and knowing that even after surgery those injuries will come back to them thirty years later.

It's football, a violent sport. Hayden knew you can't protect the human body from all injuries in football. He loved the game but was torn up about what it did to young men on his team.

Didn’t he go on the field for most of his players injuries? That was/is rare to see the head coach go out & check on his players.

 

[Herkmeister]

I have posted this before, but Sherriff Ron told me that Hayden wore a bulletproof vest for two seasons. Some guy from Des Moines was making death threats. According to Ron, if he went off his medication there were problems. As I recall the story, the man died.

But they took the threats very seriously.

 

[rchawk]

KuwaitHawk and others have mentioned "A High Porch Picnic" and Hayden breaking the color barrier in the Southwest Conference when he recruited Jerry Levias.

Levias wrote, "My first encounter with Hayden Fry was when he came to my home to recruit me for a football scholarship to Southern Methodist University. His first question was, 'Is that turnip greens I smell cooking?' He ended up looking in all the pots on the stove and having a lengthy discussion with my Mama about how to cook pinto beans."

 

[CUHawkeye91]

Bump elliot said the interview process was more fry asking him questions than bump asking questions.
Bump knew fry was his last and best chance.
Fry had a couple staff guys ready to come with him, recruiting connections, etc.
Bump told him they also thought iowa had connections in jersey ready to help.
Fry asked what the recruiting budget would be.
Elliott says “unlimted. More than your staff can spend”.
Fry says “ deal”.

I think the other piece to this story is that Hayden likely knew Iowa was also his last best chance to make a name for himself. Both the school and Hayden were focused on being successful - the fruit of this marriage is obvious.

 

[rchawk]

I think the other piece to this story is that Hayden likely knew Iowa was also his last best chance to make a name for himself. Both the school and Hayden were focused on being successful - the fruit of this marriage is obvious.

Hayden had a lot of success at North Texas State and previously won a Southwest Conference championship at SMU. He was only 49 when Bump hired him at Iowa. He could have taken the job at other schools. He brought several coaches with him from NTSU.

He was impressed by the fan turnout at Iowa for some pretty bad teams. Being the competitor he was he believed he could win Big Ten championships at Iowa. He did. He broke the Michigan-Ohio State strangle hold on the Rose Bowl. Younger fans may not appreciate what a big deal that was.

 

[Herkmeister]

KuwaitHawk and others have mentioned "A High Porch Picnic" and Hayden breaking the color barrier in the Southwest Conference when he recruited Jerry Levias.

Levias wrote, "My first encounter with Hayden Fry was when he came to my home to recruit me for a football scholarship to Southern Methodist University. His first question was, 'Is that turnip greens I smell cooking?' He ended up looking in all the pots on the stove and having a lengthy discussion with my Mama about how to cook pinto beans."

In the article I read about the integration of college football, it stated that during Jerry Levias’ junior or senior year a linebacker cker from TCU spit in his face after a tackle and said “Get out of here ******!” It was immediately after this episode that Levias returned a punt for a touchdown.

A few months after reading the article, I happened upon a TV documentary related to college football integration. Jerry Levias was interviewed. Jerry said that he scored that touchdown for the wrong reason. That it was done with pure hatred. He also stated that he still feels the scars from his experience.

The touching part of the story is that Jerry never revealed the name of the TCU linebacker. And four years before Frank DeFord wrote the Sports Illustrated article, Jerry said he received a telephone call one day out of the blue. It was the TCU linebacker calling to apologize. He told Levias that he wanted him to know he had raised four children, and had raised all four of them to know that all men are created equal.

For me personally this is one of the most emotional sports stories I know.

Hayden Fry found the incredibly high character young man he had sought in Jerry Levias.

 

[rchawk]

In the article I read about the integration of college football, it stated that during Jerry Levias’ junior or senior year a linebacker cker from TCU spit in his face after a tackle and said “Get out of here ******!” It was immediately after this episode that Levias returned a punt for a touchdown.

A few months after reading the article, I happened upon a TV documentary related to college football integration. Jerry Levias was interviewed. Jerry said that he scored that touchdown for the wrong reason. That it was done with pure hatred. He also stated that he still feels the scars from his experience.

The touching part of the story is that Jerry never revealed the name of the TCU linebacker. And four years before Frank DeFord wrote the Sports Illustrated article, Jerry said he received a telephone call one day out of the blue. It was the TCU linebacker calling to apologize. He told Levias that he wanted him to know he had raised four children, and had raised all four of them to know that all men are created equal.

For me personally this is one of the most emotional sports stories I know.

Hayden Fry found the incredibly high character young man he had sought in Jerry Levias.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

The Hayden/Bo connection was special...the stuff college football legend is made of.

When Hayden was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame (2004 I believe) he asked Bo to introduce him at the induction ceremony. That Fall Hayden was recognized at Kinnick for his election and Bo came out to midfield with him. The IOWA crowd gave a standing O to Schembechler when he was introduced...it was quite a moment. You could see that he was touched and maybe a bit surprised. One can only guess what he and Hayden said to each other at that moment.

I'll never forget it.