Kadyn Proctor campaigns Caitlin Clark over himself as the best athlete out of Iowa

The state of Iowa has produced some exciting talent across sports, particularly in recent seasons. That’s included Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, as well as WNBA star Caitlin Clark.

At SEC Media Days, Proctor looked back on some of those great Iowa athletes, including himself and Clark. There, he stopped and took the time to praise Clark as the greatest athlete the state has ever produced. In fact, he doesn’t even want to be compared to her.

“I would say, Caitlin Clark for sure,” Proctor said. “There’s talks about who’s the best athlete to come out of Iowa, and I don’t want anybody to say my name. I don’t want anybody to say my name.”

Based on pure talent, Proctor is a player who many people might bring up. He was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2023. He was also the top-ranked offensive tackle and recruit from Iowa in that cycle. On top of that, Proctor is the only five-star recruit from the state of Iowa in football since Rivals began tracking. That includes 1,097 recruits to come out of the state during that time.

Still, what Clark was able to do in her college career is undeniable. A Des Moines native, she spent four seasons playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes. There, she’d become more decorated than anyone else in the history of college basketball. That’s true regardless of gender, as she is the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader. She was also a three-time First Team All-American, two-time Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year, and the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft.

“I want them to say Caitlin Clark because of the things that I’ve seen her do are crazy,” Proctor said. “I want to say that’s the best basketball player that I’ve seen, honestly.”

It’s obviously difficult to compare a basketball player known for her scoring to an offensive lineman in football who never touches the ball. Beyond it being a different sport, Proctor isn’t going to accumulate stats to compare. That doesn’t help him in an argument if someone wanted to make it. At the same time, even if someone wanted to debate the best athlete Iowa has produced, it sounds like Proctor wants nothing to do with that honor himself.

For now, the focus for Proctor isn’t going to be on accolades at all. It’s preparing for a very important 2025 season at Alabama, where the Crimson Tide are expected to compete for the College Football Playoff.