Hayden's 20th & final season; very good read; what do you remember?

[Franisdaman]

LINK to the Story: https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...-devries-aaron-kampman-chuck-long/1130738002/

What do you remember about Fry's 20th and final season?

I remember sitting in the Metrodome. Iowa was getting killed (the final score was 49-7); it was Iowa's fifth consecutive loss. The very disappointing 3-8 season was finally over. Everyone knew it was Hayden's last game, even though nothing had been officially announced by Hayden. It was kind of emotional because it was apparent that it was the end of an era and the future looked kinda scary. The team seemed like they quit in the season finale, which was depressing to witness. Who would Iowa hire to replace Fry? Would the following season be a disaster (it was; 1-11 record)? How soon before things got turned around (it took the 3rd season for Kirk to turn things around)?

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

I remember sensing the program was tired. 1997 was supposed to be Hayden's greatest season. Better than 1985. And it proved disappointing. 1998 was very sad to me. Hayden was sick but nobody knew about it. I just wish he could have gone out triumphant. He deserved a hell of a lot more than 3-8 as a swan song.

 

[markfromj]

Kirk got things turned around in the second season. The inflection point was Sanders’ hit on the MSU kickoff.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

I remember the Michigan game. Shitty weather and Kinnick was rocking. Tom Brady took a beating that day. Hawks came up short 12-9

 

[QChawks]

I remember getting excited for his reign to end. He had started to lose touch with the game and it was obvious the talent level was dropping quickly.

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

I remember sensing the program was tired. 1997 was supposed to be Hayden's greatest season. Better than 1985. And it proved disappointing. 1998 was very sad to me. Hayden was sick but nobody knew about it. I just wish he could have gone out triumphant. He deserved a hell of a lot more than 3-8 as a swan song.

A 'tired program'. That is a really good way to put it! Really felt like everyone was sort of going through the motions just to get it over with and move on--coaches, players, fans alike. The highs were high and fun, but that ending was a slow burn.

 

[His Hawkness]

Guess I didn't realize he wasn't coming to the game this saturday. I thought he was going to be there.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

I watched Hayden walk off the field at the Metrodump after that game. He didn't look like the same man...it was a drag.

 

[Franisdaman]

A 'tired program'. That is a really good way to put it! Really felt like everyone was sort of going through the motions just to get it over with and move on--coaches, players, fans alike. The highs were high and fun, but that ending was a slow burn.

it was an embarrassing game to witness in person; and Gopher fans were so giddy

 

[Franisdaman]

I remember sensing the program was tired. 1997 was supposed to be Hayden's greatest season. Better than 1985. And it proved disappointing. 1998 was very sad to me. Hayden was sick but nobody knew about it. I just wish he could have gone out triumphant. He deserved a hell of a lot more than 3-8 as a swan song.

I hope Kirk's 20th season is MUCH better!

 

[His Hawkness]

I hope Kirk's 20th season is MUCH better!

I think it will be, but to Hayden's credit he was six years older and dealing with serious health complications.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

A 'tired program'. That is a really good way to put it! Really felt like everyone was sort of going through the motions just to get it over with and move on--coaches, players, fans alike. The highs were high and fun, but that ending was a slow burn.

A Head Coach undergoing radiation treatments and a DC also undergoing cancer treatments tends to suck the energy out of a program. That was a tough year.

 

[Franisdaman]

I think it will be, but to Hayden's credit he was six years older and dealing with serious health complications.

so was one of his assistants

 

[HawkAlum2002]

My freshman year at Iowa, so regardless of record it will always be memorable to me. So many things could've changed that season. Tony Collins leaving school and losing your number one wide out, he showed a lot of promise in 1997. Reiners issues on and off the field, couldn't help but feel for him because he always played his heart out no matter how banged up he was. Still think if Reiners, Thigpen and Hughes play against ISU we don't lose that game. I remember ISU had a 3rd and 21 or something and Darren Davis took a draw and got a first down by one yard, you knew the streak was ending. And if we beat Michigan despite almost zero offense, the whole season is remembered differently, much like the Michigan win two years ago overshadows NDSU. Getting up 7-0 on OSU was fun for a couple minutes too, at least the buzz on DJ Johnson's near pick 6 and Scott Mullen running the option in for the TD was probably the single loudest the stadium got all season. Sad that it ended in a beatdown at the Metrodome, but maybe better there than happening in Kinnick.

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

Yeah, I had no idea Hayden was sick that year.

I was a senior in high school that year, which means I missed the decades of futility of the 60s and 70s and after the 90 and 91 seasons I blocked out the couple mediocre seasons before the excitement of the Shaw, Banks, and Dwight teams. In a word, I was kinda spoiled with remembering good Iowa teams in my youth.

1997 was the most disappointing season for me. I was too young to remember the thrill of the 85 Hawkeyes so I was hoping I would get a taste of that with the 97 team. We all know what happened.

While my expectations for the 98 team were not as great, my enthusiasm was not tempered one bit. I expected Iowa would be at least...decent. I remember an interview Hayden gave prior to the season in which he was basically mocking the offensive line and saying "Look out!" because opposing defenses were going to have a field day rushing the quarterback. I really didn't know how to take that at the time and assumed it was hyperbole intended to keep the players humble and hungry. Then something happened I had never experienced before: watching Iowa State dominate a football game against Iowa. After that game, and the shock of trying to wrap my brain around Iowa State actually beating Iowa in football, there was this pervasive feeling that Iowa football would never again be the same. After Hayden announced his retirement and that bland, car insurance agent-looking goof named Ferentz was named head coach, I was thoroughly convinced Iowa football would R.I.P in similar fashion to the sixties and seventies I had only heard rumors about as a kid.

That, to me, was the 1998 season.

 

[HawkDude1978]

A 'tired program'. That is a really good way to put it! Really felt like everyone was sort of going through the motions just to get it over with and move on--coaches, players, fans alike. The highs were high and fun, but that ending was a slow burn.

Agreed. That year has always stood out to me because I remember it having a very odd feel from very early on.

 

[HawkinMN]

LINK to the Story: https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...-devries-aaron-kampman-chuck-long/1130738002/

What do you remember about Fry's 20th and final season?

I remember sitting in the Metrodome. Iowa was getting killed (the final score was 49-7); it was Iowa's fifth consecutive loss. The very disappointing 3-8 season was finally over. Everyone knew it was Hayden's last game, even though nothing had been officially announced by Hayden. It was kind of emotional because it was apparent that it was the end of an era and the future looked kinda scary. The team seemed like they quit in the season finale, which was depressing to witness. Who would Iowa hire to replace Fry? Would the following season be a disaster (it was; 1-11 record)? How soon before things got turned around (it took the 3rd season for Kirk to turn things around)?

That's the game I remember that appeared the Hawks gave up.

 

[CLONE1]

I remember the look on Hayden's face after the Cyclones put a beating on him!

 

[Franisdaman]

I remember the look on Hayden's face after the Cyclones put a beating on him!

 

[HawkIDrummer]

I remember the look on Hayden's face after the Cyclones put a beating on him!

Rare events tend to get remembered... especially by clones.

 

[rchawk]

IIRC Hayden's doctors told him he had cancer about the time of spring ball. Only a few knew that until after he retired. He hadn't had so much as a physical in years, but went in because he knew he was losing energy.

The assistant coaches on his staff weren't as good as what he had in the glory days of the 1980s. It's all hindsight now.

I've never seen video of his last press conference, just some quotes and photos. I've read it was pretty emotional. "I'll always be a Hawk."

 

[HawkIDrummer]

IIRC Hayden's doctors told him he had cancer about the time of spring ball. Only a few knew that until after he retired. He hadn't had so much as a physical in years, but went in because he knew he was losing energy.

The assistant coaches on his staff weren't as good as what he had in the glory days of the 1980s. It's all hindsight now.

I've never seen video of his last press conference, just some quotes and photos. I've read it was pretty emotional. "I'll always be a Hawk."

"I truly love the people of Iowa...I truly love the state of Iowa... I'll always be a Hawk." It was a very emotional press conference.

 

[myteamcanbeatupyourteam]

so was one of his assistants

Bobby Elliot. Had he not been ill, this was Hayden's replacement.

 

[Carlton]

Yeah, I had no idea Hayden was sick that year.

I was a senior in high school that year, which means I missed the decades of futility of the 60s and 70s and after the 90 and 91 seasons I blocked out the couple mediocre seasons before the excitement of the Shaw, Banks, and Dwight teams. In a word, I was kinda spoiled with remembering good Iowa teams in my youth.

1997 was the most disappointing season for me. I was too young to remember the thrill of the 85 Hawkeyes so I was hoping I would get a taste of that with the 97 team. We all know what happened......

Speaking of the 97 season, the contest with the Badgers was at Camp Randall and on a great day for a football game, Bucky prevailed and broke the Hawks winning streak against them. It would have been the perfect afternoon to linger at the tailgate but we needed to get back home early that evening.
I was able to tune in WMT just west of Verona and listed to the Hawk post game call in show. The faithful were not happy but who would be after losing to a long time rival. But the tone that day turned nasty, with some vicious shots to coach Fry. When we came into Mineral Point, I slowed down, looking for a payphone ( before cells, at least for our family). My wife asked why are we stopping and I said to call into the show as the callers clearly had not been at the game I had just witnessed. The line was busy and we moved on but the writing on the wall, at least in the minds of most of the callers that day, was that Coach Frys should be numbered.