Pretty sweet column from HawkCentral.com.
Some excerpts:
The tears were flowing in the locker room afterward....
The head coach was crying...So was offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the coach’s son. And then, a lot of other sweaty guys wearing eye black and shoulder pads couldn't help but cry, too.
“Quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends — the whole nine yards. Everybody was crying,” Levi Paulsen said. “I think everybody realizes that the University of Iowa is a special place. The culture that Coach Ferentz has (built) and sustained over time is just second to none.”
After the game, against Ferentz’s wishes, he was honored in the locker room by UI President Bruce Harreld and athletics director Gary Barta.
“I got ambushed a little bit in there,” Ferentz said. “President Harreld had asked the other day to recognize it and I said, ‘Please don't.' And he didn't. So Gary circled around and took that over. I forgot to tell him the same thing.”
“He’s the main reason why I’m here,” said fifth-year senior Matt Nelson. “He’s such a great guy. He’s a man you really want to be when you grow up.”
Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson got choked up talking about “KF” getting choked up.
“KF has things he gets emotional about,” Hockenson said. “And that makes us emotional about him, and that we respect the opportunity we have.”
Players knew the significance of this day, and they felt honored to be a part of it.
“He’s another father figure out there for all of us,” Stanley said. “These are special years of our lives. And to be able to spend it with someone with so much legacy, so much character and so much love for all of us as players … it’s awesome to be able to go out there to compete with him and for him.”
Link to Full Story: https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...northern-illinois-kinnick-stadium/1174209002/
CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW
Some excerpts:
The tears were flowing in the locker room afterward....
The head coach was crying...So was offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the coach’s son. And then, a lot of other sweaty guys wearing eye black and shoulder pads couldn't help but cry, too.
“Quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends — the whole nine yards. Everybody was crying,” Levi Paulsen said. “I think everybody realizes that the University of Iowa is a special place. The culture that Coach Ferentz has (built) and sustained over time is just second to none.”
After the game, against Ferentz’s wishes, he was honored in the locker room by UI President Bruce Harreld and athletics director Gary Barta.
“I got ambushed a little bit in there,” Ferentz said. “President Harreld had asked the other day to recognize it and I said, ‘Please don't.' And he didn't. So Gary circled around and took that over. I forgot to tell him the same thing.”
“He’s the main reason why I’m here,” said fifth-year senior Matt Nelson. “He’s such a great guy. He’s a man you really want to be when you grow up.”
Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson got choked up talking about “KF” getting choked up.
“KF has things he gets emotional about,” Hockenson said. “And that makes us emotional about him, and that we respect the opportunity we have.”
Players knew the significance of this day, and they felt honored to be a part of it.
“He’s another father figure out there for all of us,” Stanley said. “These are special years of our lives. And to be able to spend it with someone with so much legacy, so much character and so much love for all of us as players … it’s awesome to be able to go out there to compete with him and for him.”
Link to Full Story: https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...northern-illinois-kinnick-stadium/1174209002/
CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW
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