Ferentz Era Iowa FB Mt Rushmore: Vote for your Four

[JonDMiller]

Yes, it’s the silly season. May is the slowest month of the year not just for this website, but for the vast majority of college team sites like HawkeyeNation.com.

It’s a good time of year to have some fun with debates like this which allow everyone to express their opinion, as well as a good look back at some of the high points of Iowa athletics.

Tim McLaughlin (@Gr82baHawk) asked this question of a few Iowa media members on twitter: “Who is on your Mt Rushmore of Ferentz-era Hawkeye Football players?”

I retweeted it with my thoughts and it created quite a lengthy back and forth with folks who had different opinions. So I thought it would be fun to create a poll and open this up to the HawkeyeNation. We’ll leave the poll open for a few days then I will circle back around with the results and also lay out the rationale for the four I would choose. Please vote for just four players.

Ferentz Era Mt. Rushmore | Hawkeye Nation

[DuffMan]

I'm going to organize a massive write in campaign for Higby.

[Section136]

Voted for Gallery, Kaeding, Sanders and Clark. Was actually pretty easy for me to pick those 4.

[aeischeid]

Next question, Jon.
Where does this "Kirkmore" get sculpted at???
I mean, where's the most worthy rock outcropping in Iowa for this masterpiece?

[spliff45]

I had Banks, Kaeding, Clark, and Sanders.

[BergHawk7]

Banks, kaeding, Greene, Sanders. How is banks and kaeding not leading the pack with Sanders? Kaeding was a huge contributer to KF teams, maybe one of the more important. And Banks was a Hiesman runner up. Cmon people get those two on the MT

[Clark]

I couldn't justify putting a kicker on my Mount Kirkmore.

Mine was Clark, Sanders, Greenway, and Greene.

[ihawkeye]

Banks, Greene, Sanders, and Clark Sorry Kaeding but your a kicker.

[DwayneTwill]

Banks, Greene, Kaeding, McNutt

[tksirius]

Somebody needs to give Riley some love.

[Bohawk]

It's tough to narrow it down, but I went with Sanders, Gallery, Clark and Greenway.

Tough not to include Kaeding, but he's a kicker.

Tough not to include Banks and Greene, but took them out due to the limited time as major contributors (had to narrow it down somehow).

Big fan of Stanzi and he'd probably be my 5th and possible replacement for Greenway.

I chose guys that either had Iowa connections or longshots to make it or both. They also had longevity as contributors. I felt these were keys in establishing guys that really represent the last 15 years of Iowa football.

[Winterhawk]

You can't be taken seriously putting a kicker on any list unless it is a list of kickers. If you put the kicker on, you probably have to put the holder and snapper on there too.

Bob Sanders is the obvious one, and then I think it gets tough. I put on Matt Roth, Abdul Hodge and Dallas Clark. I think Hodge provided more identity for those teams in terms of toughness than Greenway did with his athleticism. Go back and watch the Cap One and Outback bowls and Hodge is just a straight-up wood layer. Fun discussion though...

[DwayneTwill]

Kaeding was an easy choice to me. He was by far the best at his position during the KF era, had the longevity, and scored more points and won more games with his leg than anyone else did with any other body part. Because of his local connection and years of playing, I consider him to be as iconic as any player of the era.

[Section136]

You can't be taken seriously putting a kicker on any list unless it is a list of kickers. If you put the kicker on, you probably have to put the holder and snapper on there too.

Bob Sanders is the obvious one, and then I think it gets tough. I put on Matt Roth, Abdul Hodge and Dallas Clark. I think Hodge provided more identity for those teams in terms of toughness than Greenway did with his athleticism. Go back and watch the Cap One and Outback bowls and Hodge is just a straight-up wood layer. Fun discussion though...

Sorry, but when the kicker is straight drilling 50+ yarders his junior and senior seasons and is considered automatic, that is huge. Not to mention the touchback factor that was always in play on kickoffs.

Go rewatch the 2001 Alamo Bowl or the 2003 game at Wisconsin and tell me that Kaeding doesnt belong on the list. There are a lot of other games that he was a key factor in, those 2 just jump out at me right now without digging through any game logs.

[HawkForce]

Kaeding belongs on any list of the top 5...he was legendary.

But my list would be:
1. Sam Brownlee
2. Paki O'Meara
3. Jayme Murphy
4. Higby

And none of them were listed...so I'm not voting.