[JonDMiller]

In the first of our series on the 'Best of the Decade' Iowa Hawkeye style, let's focus on the Iowa football team and the offensive side of the ball.

As with any of these discussions, there are going to be differences of opinion, which makes them a lot of fun. How do you rate it? Does a career contribution outweigh one supernova of a season? It's in the eye of the beholder, and you are the beholders.

Here are the nominees:

Drew Tate: One of four players ever at Iowa to start at quarterback for three seasons . . . ranks third in career wins (21) among Iowa's all-time quarterbacks . . . also is tied for third in Big Ten Conference wins (14) . . . 61 career touchdown passes ties for eighth-best in Big Ten Conference history .. . . ranks second behind Chuck Long in career touchdown passes (61), completions (665), attempts (1,090), passing yards (8,292) and total offense (8,427) . . . ranks third in career completion percentage (.610) . . . 2,623 passing yards in 2006 ranks as seventh-best single-season total and 2,747 yards total offense ranks sixth-best . . . 2,828 passing yards in 2005 ranks as fifth best single-season total and 22 passing TDs tie as third best for a single season . . . 2,869 yards total offense in 2005 ranks as fifth best single-season total . . . passed for two touchdowns or more 23 times in career . . . passed for three touchdowns or more seven times in career, including three games in 2006, and passed for more than 300 yards in seven career games . .

Brad Banks: led the nation in pass efficiency with a 157.1 rating and had 26 touchdown passes and just five interceptions . . . set Iowa and Big Ten Conference record for passing percentage by completing 10-10 passes in win over Northwestern . . . 423 rushing yards set Iowa single-season mark as most rushing yards by an Iowa quarterback . . . 2,573 passing yards ranks as sixth best total in school history, 2,996 yards total offense ranks as third best single season total and 26 TD passes is second best for a single season . . . ranks seventh in career passing yards (3,154) and eighth in career total offense (3,729)...led Iowa to a school record 11 wins in 2002...winner of Davey O'Brien Award as nation's best quarterback . . . Associated Press College Football Player of the Year . . . Walter Camp Foundation first team all-America . . . second team all-America by the Associated Press . . . second team all-America by The Sporting News . . . second team all-America by CNNSI.com . . . earned Chicago Tribune Silver Football Award as Big Ten Conference Most Valuable Player . . . Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year . . .one of three finalists for Maxwell Award . . . one of 10 finalists for Walter Camp Foundation Player of the Year . . . first team all-Big Ten...

Shonn Greene: Set Iowa single-season rushing record with 1,850 yards in 2008 and set school record with 20 rushing touchdowns in 2008 . . . ranked second in the nation in rushing yards per game (142.3) . . . led the Big Ten (152.9) in league games only . . . rushed for over 100 yards in all 13 games, the only Division I player to do so . . . ranks 11th in career rushing with 2,228 yards . . . one of three Iowa running backs ever to rush for over 200 yards in a game twice in one season (Wisconsin and Purdue) . . . with 116 yards vs. Ball State, became first true freshman to rush for over 100 yards in a game since Tony Stewart (23-102) vs. Wisconsin in 1987...Earned Doak Walker Award as nation's best running back . . . Chicago Tribune Silver Football recipient as Big Ten's Most Valuable Player . . . Most Valuable Player in Iowa's 31-10 Outback Bowl win over South Carolina . . . Most Valuable Player, offense . . . Permanent Team Captain, offense . . . Big Ten Conference offensive Player of the Year by league coaches and media and the Sporting News . . . first team all-American by Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp Foundation, American Football Coaches Association, Phil Steele's College Football, the Sporting News, ESPN.com, SI.com and Rivals.com . . . first team all-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . mid-season all-American by The Sporting News . . . Rivals.com national Player of the Week vs. Penn State . . . Big Ten offensive Player of the Week vs. Purdue and Wisconsin.

Nate Kaeding: Iowa's career scoring leader with 373 points . . . when he left Iowa, he shared Big Ten Conference record with 367 career kick scoring points and is Iowa's career leader in PATs (166) . . . career numbers include 67-83 field goals and 166-169 PATs . . . set school single-game record with 16 kicking points (four PATs, four FGs) in win at Iowa State and tied that record in win over Minnesota (four PATs, four FGs) . . . tied school record for field goals in a game (four) against Minnesota and Iowa State, a feat he also accomplished vs. Penn State in 2000 and Texas Tech in 2001 . . . career totals include making 5-6 field goal attempts from 50 yards and beyond . . . made 7-9 field goals while participating in three bowl games in his career . . . 2002 season total of 120 points is Iowa single season scoring record and is a Big Ten Conference record for kicking points in a season . . . established Iowa record by making 22 consecutive field goal attempts over Alamo Bowl game of 2001 and first nine games of 2002 season . . . set Iowa record with 60 consecutive PATs, with streak ending on blocked PAT at Penn State in 2002 . . . set school records in 2002 for made PATs (57) and PAT attempts (58) in a season . . . tied Iowa bowl record with 13 kicking points vs. Texas Tech in 2001 Alamo Bowl and vs. Florida in 2004 Outback Bowl . . . set Iowa bowl records for field goals (four) and field goal attempts (five) vs. Texas Tech..- - winner of Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award . . . first team all-America by Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) . . . first team all-America by The Sporting News . . . first team all-America by CNNSI.com . . . first team all-America by ESPN.com . . . second team all-America by the Associated Press . . . first team all-Big Ten . . . Verizon Second team Academic all-American . . . Verizon District VII first team Academic all-American . . . academic all-Big Ten .

Robert Gallery: ended career with streak of starting 44 consecutive games, which ranked as the longest current streak in the Big Ten among offensive linemen . ..Outland Trophy winner as nation's best interior lineman . . . Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year . . . first team all-America by Walter Camp Foundation, American Football Coaches Association, American Football Writers Association, the Associated Press, The Sporting News, ESPN.com, Rivals.com, SI.com, College Sports Television and Southern Football Weekly . . . first team all-Big Ten . . . academic all-Big Ten . ..#2 overall draft pick in 2004 by the Oakland Raiders.

Honorable Mention: Ladell Betts, Dallas Clark, Kevin Kasper, Mo Brown, Eric Steinbach, Bruce Nelson, Fred Russell, Albert Young

[hawk0311]

The 44 consecutive starts put Gallery over Banks for me.

[HawKCP]

My vote for Gallery is...by extension...a vote for the rest of his offensive line mates during that period. Gallery, Steinbach and Nelson made Iowa's offense what it was during that period.

[hawktransplant]

I had to go with Kaeding just over Gallery.

[JonDMiller]

Tate is #3 all time in wins at Iowa by a starting QB, with 21....Stanzi has 17 I think...17-4 as a starter, with this year's NW game being on his loss record.

[Hawkeye10970]

Had to go with Banks. He was the glue of the 2002 season.

[DYK88]

Drew Tate...he'll always be #1 in my heart. Sure, he had his questionable moments, but he left everything on the field. He carried that '04 team on his shoulders.

[JonDMiller]

Good stuff folks! Keep the comments coming

[hawkifb]

Shonn Greene for me. 100+ yds every game in an entire season is incredible enough, let alone at a time when the Hawks were still feeling their way at QB. BTW, can you imagine SG running behind Gallery with those 02 receivers to keep a defense honest? Good Lord.

[Smarthawk]

This was hard but I went with Drew Tate. Brad Banks only contributed for one year so he is out. Can't vote for an O lineman so Gallery is out. Can't vote for a kicker so Nate is out. That leaves Drew Tate and Shonn Greene. If Shonn had come back and led us to a 12-0 season (which he would have) my vote would be different. That leaves Drew Tate...the magician. The end of the Capital One bowl will remain Drew's signature moment and what a moment it was. 2004 was an amazing season, even more so than this year, and Drew won the Big 10 with a 5th string running back. Drew Tate it is.

[eyekwah]

I'm not voting, Dallas Clark is my pick.

[HawkIreign]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye10970

Had to go with Banks. He was the glue of the 2002 season.

I think if you give Tate the talent at RB and WR that Banks had he does more with it and thats saying alot. Tate was the simple choice.

[phowerter]

Shonn Greene might be the best hawkeye football player ever. Last year, I would look forward to watching him run every weekend. It got to the point where I only cared about what Shonn Greene would do and the rest of the Hawkeyes were secondary to me. He would absolutely demolish anyone in his path.

Banks had a ton of talent around him. Tate was a huge bust after his Sophomore year (although that can mostly be blamed on O'Keefe calling a PA pass 75% of the time).

[phowerter]

Could you imagine if Shonn Greene stuck around this year? Wow, a Heisman award and a possible National Championship game to look forward to.

[hawkfan2679]

Drew Tate

2004 was a magical season, given the injuries we sustained in the backfield. Has any team ever had a season leading rusher with less than 230 yards and made it to a New Year's Day bowl? Tate absolutely carried that team...and his stats in 2005 were even better. Unfortunately the defense wasn't, and the team results suffered as a result. Stanzi will most likely pass him in overall wins next year, but Rick will have the luxury of playing with the best defenses of the decade, as well as the best running back of the decade. It's an easy decision for me to take Tate in this one.

BTW...I object to Kaeding being in the discussion because he's a special teams guy, but honestly, who would vote for anyone but Kaeding in the Special Teams Player of the Decade? So I'll allow it...