7 Best Iowa Hawkeyes Football Players

Today’s college football fans know that the Iowa Hawkeyes have never been toward the top of the college football odds to win the national championship in recent memory due to how inept their offence has been, and in 2024, that hasn’t changed.

Here at BetMGM online sportsbook, the Hawkeyes’ football odds will be intriguing as they look to impose their tradition of strong defences. 

The Hawkeyes haven’t won a national championship since 1960, but there’s still been a number of incredible football players to come through their ranks.

Below, I’ll list the seven best Hawkeyes of all time. 

7 Best Iowa Hawkeyes Football Players

1. Nile Kinnick

Kinnick, who was listed at 5-foot-8 and won the 1939 Heisman Trophy, finished that season with 106 carries for 374 yards and five touchdowns. 

Kinnick still holds the all-time record for interceptions in Iowa history with 18, had eight in 1939, and accounted for 16 of Iowa’s 19 touchdowns that season.

He also punted 71 times in his career and returned kickoffs. 

Nile Kinnick, #OTD in 1939: pic.twitter.com/dPHGnAuMJN

— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) December 7, 2022

A do-it-all guy, Kinnick left school after the 1939 season but sadly passed away in 1943 during a training fight while serving in the United States Navy in World War II. 

Kinnick also won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Memorial Trophy, and AP Male Athlete of the Year. He was a consensus All-American and two-time first-team All-Big Ten, and the team retired his No. 24. 

2. Chuck Long

To this day, Long, who hasn’t played for the Hawkeyes since 1985, holds the school record in passing yards (10,461), passing touchdowns (74), total offence (10,254), and total touchdowns (88). 

Long also holds multiple records for single-game touchdown passes, including six in 1984, which is second all-time. He does hold the single-season record, though, with 27. 

Long won the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards, was a unanimous All-American, Big Ten Most Valuable Player, and was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten. 

3. Alex Karras

The No. 10 overall pick in the 1958 NFL Draft, Karras made it into the College Football Hall of Fame after winning the Outland Trophy, was a consensus All-American, first-team All-American, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten, and finished second in the Heisman voting in 1957. 

4. Tim Dwight

Dwight played for the Hawkeyes from 1994 to 1997, and during that time, he racked up statistics that rank him 10th all-time in receptions (139), third in receiving yards (2,271), second in receiving touchdowns (21), and third in all-purpose yards (4,890). 

Dwight was a consensus All-American in 1997, first-team All-American in 1996, first-team All-Big Ten in 1997, and second-team All-Big Ten in 1996

5. Calvin Jones

Better known as “Cal,” Jones played guard for the Hawkeyes and won the Outland Trophy in 1955, becoming the first African American to win it. He was a two-time consensus All-American and a three-time first-team All-Big Ten, and his No. 62 was retired by the team. 

He also finished in the top 10 for Heisman voting in 1955. 

6. Brad Banks

Banks didn’t play at Iowa until 2002, his final season with the team. That year, he completed 57.8% of his passes for 26 touchdowns, five interceptions, and five rushing touchdowns. 

In terms of single-season stats, Banks ranks second in passing touchdowns, sixth in total offence, and first in total touchdowns with 31. 

In 2002, Banks was the AP Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien Award, was first-team All-American, the Big Ten MVP, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-Big Ten.

7. Dallas Clark

Iowa is known as “TE U.” Clark started that trend in 1999. Clark started seeing real action on the field in 2001, and between 2001 and 2002, Clark caught 77 passes for 1,251 yards and eight touchdowns. 

He was a unanimous All-American in 2002, won the John Mackey Award, and was first-team All-Big Ten. 

Clark was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.