OT-Matt Rodgers

[7and5baby]

...was an all-time great QB, with little acclaim, imo. 3-year starter. Won a ton of games. Offensive Player of Yr ('90). TWO-TIME All Big 10.

Youtube has a TON of old games from 80's+ you can watch. Been watching many when bored during off-season, and also waiting for next weeks game.

He was a true 'gamer'. He did what it took to move the sticks, many times with his legs and sacrificing his body. I was a student during that time and loved watching him. Beathard was kinda the modern-version of him.

 

[Max Rebo]

...was an all-time great QB, with little acclaim, imo. 3-year starter. Won a ton of games. Offensive Player of Yr ('90). TWO-TIME All Big 10.

Youtube has a TON of old games from 80's+ you can watch. Been watching many when bored during off-season, and also waiting for next weeks game.

He was a true 'gamer'. He did what it took to move the sticks, many times with his legs and sacrificing his body. I was a student during that time and loved watching him. Beathard was kinda the modern-version of him.

Among the all-time great Hawkeye QBs, I feel like Rodgers is kind of the forgotten man.

He was a really good one.

 

[uihawk82]

...was an all-time great QB, with little acclaim, imo. 3-year starter. Won a ton of games. Offensive Player of Yr ('90). TWO-TIME All Big 10.

Youtube has a TON of old games from 80's+ you can watch. Been watching many when bored during off-season, and also waiting for next weeks game.

He was a true 'gamer'. He did what it took to move the sticks, many times with his legs and sacrificing his body. I was a student during that time and loved watching him. Beathard was kinda the modern-version of him.

All true.

 

[Ozzie89]

Dropping dimes to Alan Cross, Jon Filloon and Danan Hughes every Saturday

 

[QCBulldog]

Dad was a Celtics coach.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

Dad was a Celtics coach.

Jimmy Rodgers the original. Shame the dbag isu coach has to tarnish his name.

 

[Hawkangler]

I was an expat in Canada when Matt was QB. My wife and I would drive to Buffalo with our young daughter for wings and the Hawks. No college football on the Canadian airwaves.

Matt led the Hawks to the rose bowl. They came out of no where to win the Big Ten, nobody expected them to win that year.

Hawks had some weapons that year and Matt could sling it.

 

[7and5baby]

Jimmy Rodgers the original. Shame the dbag isu coach has to tarnish his name.

Additional shame his dad had to tarnish his name (I'm a Lakers fan)

 

[Rambler Hawk]

Jimmy Rodgers the original. Shame the dbag isu coach has to tarnish his name.

Was thinking the same…

 

[Rambler Hawk]

...was an all-time great QB, with little acclaim, imo. 3-year starter. Won a ton of games. Offensive Player of Yr ('90). TWO-TIME All Big 10.

Youtube has a TON of old games from 80's+ you can watch. Been watching many when bored during off-season, and also waiting for next weeks game.

He was a true 'gamer'. He did what it took to move the sticks, many times with his legs and sacrificing his body. I was a student during that time and loved watching him. Beathard was kinda the modern-version of him.

Definitely not OT! Loved his dark visor…one of my all time favorite QBs.

 

[rchawk]

I was an expat in Canada when Matt was QB. My wife and I would drive to Buffalo with our young daughter for wings and the Hawks. No college football on the Canadian airwaves.

Matt led the Hawks to the rose bowl. They came out of no where to win the Big Ten, nobody expected them to win that year.

Hawks had some weapons that year and Matt could sling it.

Yeah, that was the Hokey Pokey season!

 

[Demger]

Rat was a true gamer from the 90's! Not a big QB like Mark G. but ran the option occasionally and almost always gained positive yards after contact. A great leader, plus Matt had an above average arm with, as Keith Jackson called it, a "buggy whip" motion!!

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

I was in 4th grade the year Iowa went to the Rose Bowl (1990 season). That season hooked me on Iowa football. It was the one thing I could bond with my dad over.

I still remember those fall Saturdays like it was last year. The voice of the Hawkeyes—Jim Zabel—making a Nick Bell 5-yard run up the middle seem like a Doug Flutie Hail Mary. And of course “Lew Lew Leeeeew Montgomery,” the other wrecking ball, that could make Zabel sound like he was stroking out every time Lew would run somebody over. My dad would purposely mute the TV so we could hear Zabel’s play by play every Saturday. The best was when Zabel made that Illinois beat down in Champaign seem like Iowa was winning the Super Bowl on my birthday. God, it was a blast. Especially the following season when Iowa went 10-1-1.

But it was no doubt the Matt Rodgers black visor from that era that made Iowa football seem like the coolest thing since sliced bread to this 9-year-old kid. I would say even to this day Rodgers is my favorite Iowa quarterback of all-time with Brad Banks being a close second.

 

[JerseyCityHawk]

...was an all-time great QB, with little acclaim, imo. 3-year starter. Won a ton of games. Offensive Player of Yr ('90). TWO-TIME All Big 10.

Youtube has a TON of old games from 80's+ you can watch. Been watching many when bored during off-season, and also waiting for next weeks game.

He was a true 'gamer'. He did what it took to move the sticks, many times with his legs and sacrificing his body. I was a student during that time and loved watching him. Beathard was kinda the modern-version of him.

He was (I believe) from Massachusetts… outside of Boston? Not sure why we stopped recruiting so much out east

 

[Rambler Hawk]

He was (I believe) from Massachusetts… outside of Boston? Not sure why we stopped recruiting so much out east

I think our recruiter jumped ship to Wisconsin (Bernie Wyatt) and our Jersey/East coast pipeline dried up!

 

[Palmerhawk]

My personal best memory was matt &co. going to Ann Arbor and pulling off that stunner over Blue,24-23.
Cloud 9 that day.

 

[DukeSlater]

...was an all-time great QB, with little acclaim, imo. 3-year starter. Won a ton of games. Offensive Player of Yr ('90). TWO-TIME All Big 10.

Youtube has a TON of old games from 80's+ you can watch. Been watching many when bored during off-season, and also waiting for next weeks game.

He was a true 'gamer'. He did what it took to move the sticks, many times with his legs and sacrificing his body. I was a student during that time and loved watching him. Beathard was kinda the modern-version of him.

Rodgers was horrible as a soph, but he kept improving and became a very good QB, but I would rate him well below a healthy Beathard, although it's true that both were gamers.

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

One of my best memories was 1991 at Columbus. Rodgers to Cross for a huge TD, blown coversge, Musberger on the call.

Of course 1991 also brings back some bad memories. Home loss to Michigan after completely crashing in the second half. Then the Big Ten commish made a deal during the season that the 2nd place Big Ten team would go to the Holiday Bowl. So a #6 ranked 10-1 Iowa team got screwed out of a major bowl.

 

[Hawkeyes19]

He was (I believe) from Massachusetts… outside of Boston? Not sure why we stopped recruiting so much out east

Matt's father, Jimmy, played basketball at Iowa and as was mentioned by someone earlier, Jimmy was the head coach of the Celtics.
Matt was a gamer. Not big not overly fast and not a great arm, but was a winner and leader. Those were some fun years and talented teams.

 

[UTHawk4life]

Dad was a Celtics coach.

Minnesota timberwolves.. Jimmy Rodgers.

 

[Hawkangler]

He was (I believe) from Massachusetts… outside of Boston? Not sure why we stopped recruiting so much out east

Iowa also recruited Peter Marciano from Brockton, Mass. He was Rocky's nephew. He was a very good punt returner for the Hawks. He died in his 40's, way too early.

 

[UTHawk4life]

I grew up in Colorado and went to my friends house, Wayne Rodgers, after football practice. He had a ESPN magazine on the counter and Matt Rodgers was on the cover. Told him I am a huge Hawkeye fan and that’s how I learned Matt was his cousin. We became good griends throughout HS. His uncle was Jimmy Rodgers, who was coaching the timberwolves at the time. Matt was last QB I can recall that threw for 400 yards multiple games. Wayne his brother John had every advantage in life what they were such great people and down to earth.

 

[Rambler Hawk]

Matt's father, Jimmy, played basketball at Iowa and as was mentioned by someone earlier, Jimmy was the head coach of the Celtics.
Matt was a gamer. Not big not overly fast and not a great arm, but was a winner and leader. Those were some fun years and talented teams.

In some ways he reminds me of Stanzi….just a gamer who knew how to Win.

 

[FanInBlack]

CJ is a great comp.

that was a weird year for Big10 offensive player of the year. Tico Duckett was the media vote winner. The coaches vote was a 3 way tie between Matt, Nick Bell and Jon Vaughn.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

Minnesota timberwolves.. Jimmy Rodgers.

Jimmy Rodgers was a longtime assistant for the Celtics and became Boston’s head coach for a couple years in the late 1980s before going to Minnesota.

So, Jimmy Rodgers was definitely in Boston when Hayden Fry was recruiting his son, Matt, to become a future multi-year starter at Iowa.

 

[Hawkfan82]

I was very young back then. Born in 82. I remember Mike Sanders ripped of 1 50 yard td a game. That is the way it felt anyway. Maybe I'm way off.

 

[Wobmam Rulez!]

I think our recruiter jumped ship to Wisconsin (Bernie Wyatt) and our Jersey/East coast pipeline dried up!

Isn't that about the time Barry left?

 

[HawksRule73]

With all due respect to the ‘85 team, that 1991 team was the best team Hayden coached.

 

[rchawk]

Isn't that about the time Barry left?

I could be wrong, but I think Barry left Iowa to be LB coach and then DC at Notre Dame. When he took the Wisconsin job McCarney and Wyatt left Iowa City for Madison.

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

He was (I believe) from Massachusetts… outside of Boston? Not sure why we stopped recruiting so much out east

LOL. He was a legacy recruit. The only player from Massachusetts to play for Iowa in my memory. If Jimmy Rodgers had been coaching the Seattle SuperSonics at the time, we would have had this odd recruit from Seattle.

 

[Demger]

He was (I believe) from Massachusetts… outside of Boston? Not sure why we stopped recruiting so much out east

We lost Bernie Wyatt to Wisconsin.

 

[Demger]

One of my best memories was 1991 at Columbus. Rodgers to Cross for a huge TD, blown coversge, Musberger on the call.

Of course 1991 also brings back some bad memories. Home loss to Michigan after completely crashing in the second half. Then the Big Ten commish made a deal during the season that the 2nd place Big Ten team would go to the Holiday Bowl. So a #6 ranked 10-1 Iowa team got screwed out of a major bowl.

Matt's father, Jimmy, played basketball at Iowa and as was mentioned by someone earlier, Jimmy was the head coach of the Celtics.
Matt was a gamer. Not big not overly fast and not a great arm, but was a winner and leader. Those were some fun years and talented teams.

One of my best memories was 1991 at Columbus. Rodgers to Cross for a huge TD, blown coversge, Musberger on the call.

Of course 1991 also brings back some bad memories. Home loss to Michigan after completely crashing in the second half. Then the Big Ten commish made a deal during the season that the 2nd place Big Ten team would go to the Holiday Bowl. So a #6 ranked 10-1 Iowa team got screwed out of a major bowl.

Hawk fans should thank Ex-Buckeye Bo Pelini for that play design that got Cross open for the TD!

 

[Demger]

Isn't that about the time Barry left?

Barry left earlier to the the LB coach and DC at Notre Dame. Wyatt, Mac, and some support staff left to Wiscy to join Alvarez that same year Capt. Kirk left to be head coach of Maine. HUGE hit to the staff.

 

[Rambler Hawk]

One of my best memories was 1991 at Columbus. Rodgers to Cross for a huge TD, blown coversge, Musberger on the call.

Of course 1991 also brings back some bad memories. Home loss to Michigan after completely crashing in the second half. Then the Big Ten commish made a deal during the season that the 2nd place Big Ten team would go to the Holiday Bowl. So a #6 ranked 10-1 Iowa team got screwed out of a major bowl.

Good stuff - thanks for posting!

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

Bernie was both a stud player and coach for Iowa. Was on the team which won the '59 Rose, and was the Co-MVP on the '61 team. Great Hawkeye, obviously.

As a coach he was a hangover from the Commings era but he really helped Hayden get things going. Famously brokered the deal which brought Andre Tippet to Elsworth for a year before enrolling at Iowa. Also brought Ronnie Harmon out of Queens. Owen Gill also. Shame we lost him but that's coaching

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

CSB time ... was visiting the bro-law in Queens this past June and his son was to start at Bayside High School this fall for which they were already holding an orientation.

We were always going to go with the family but my interest was admittedly piqued as this was Ronnie Harmon's high school. From whence this Iowa legend arose I was curious.

Turns out while the school is amazing, beautiful grand old architecture, the football program is definitely not and likely never will be again.

In the lobby there was card table with a Bayside helmet on it and two nerdy, frankly, looking students trying to recruit players actually. Not in the Ronnie and Kevin Harmon mold at all. I was curious how much of the lore of the Harmon brothers might exist so I had to ask. They had no idea about the Harmons, not their fault ofc, but referred me to a coach.

Nice visit with the coach who was enthusiastic to recall those years despite not being on staff then, obviously I guess. Turns out the school is a magnet school or some such thing and football is very much an afterthought now as the card table had pretty much suggested. With kind of a heavy sigh he flatly said "... we don't get that type of athlete anymore."

If the school serves my nephew well is what is important now, ofc. But it was cool to kind of retrace a few steps of the recruiting trail of ole Bernie in a place much different than Iowa and Iowa City.

/CSB

 

[HoggI74]

One of my best memories was 1991 at Columbus. Rodgers to Cross for a huge TD, blown coversge, Musberger on the call.

Of course 1991 also brings back some bad memories. Home loss to Michigan after completely crashing in the second half. Then the Big Ten commish made a deal during the season that the 2nd place Big Ten team would go to the Holiday Bowl. So a #6 ranked 10-1 Iowa team got screwed out of a major bowl.

I was at that game. We thought it might be lost when Rodgers went down late in the game and Jim Hartlieb had to relieve him. Seems like we blew a few chances to put it away but an OSU receiver dropped a sure TD at the end of the game and we survived...

As a coach he was a hangover from the Commings era but he really helped Hayden get things going. Famously brokered the deal which brought Andre Tippet to Elsworth for a year before enrolling at Iowa. Also brought Ronnie Harmon out of Queens. Owen Gill also. Shame we lost him but that's coaching

Bernie also recruited Ron Dane to Wisconsin. I had Bernie as a coach in high school, he was quite the tough guy, proud of his Brooklyn roots. He'd fight guys after practice, in the locker room, a little slap boxing never hurt anyone. In PE he'd take on the best basketball player on the team 1 on 1 and if he won the whole class did killer drills for the entire period while he drank coffee in his office. He tried wrestling our two best wrestlers at the same time and they took him down hard breaking his arm. He played fastpitch softball too, usually getting into it with the other team, verbally or sometimes physically. He always came back to IC to get his hair cut at Hawkeye Barbershop. RIP Bernie...

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

I was at that game.Bernie also recruited Ron Dane to Wisconsin. I had Bernie as a coach in high school, he was quite the tough guy, proud of his Brooklyn roots. He'd fight guys after practice, in the locker room, a little slap boxing never hurt anyone. In PE he'd take on the best basketball player on the team 1 on 1 and if he won the whole class did killer drills for the entire period while he drank coffee in his office. He tried wrestling our two best wrestlers at the same time and they took him down hard breaking his arm. He played fastpitch softball too, usually getting into it with the other team, verbally or sometimes physically. He always came back to IC to get his hair cut at Hawkeye Barbershop. RIP Bernie...

Oh my! What a "character" to put it mildly. Great stories, ole Bernie would likely be arrested in today's world, unfortunately.

His passion for competition must have served him well, without going too far over the top, at Iowa and (boo) Wisconsin.