Football In The UNI Athletic Hall of Fame
Since its founding in 1985, 61 individuals and teams have been inducted into the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame, more than any other Panther program. Inductees include legendary playmakers, record breakers, three historic teams and contributors who have helped advance the legacy of the program.
Andre Allen
FULL BIO - Andre Allen is a native of Des Moines, Iowa, via Itta Bena, Miss., and a graduate of North High School. He was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (1993 and 1994).
At UNI, he played in 47 games for the Panthers and helped the squad to four straight conference regular season championships. His UNI career resulted in a 21-3 league record over his four seasons as a linebacker and posted 358 career tackles, which ranks fourth in Panther football history. He registered 31 quarterback sacks to rank No. 3 in the Panther record book.
In addition, Allen earned league All-Decade honors in 1994 while entering his senior season. From there, Allen signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) in 1995.
After the NFL, he joined the World Football League, where he played for the London Monarchs. After a stint overseas, he landed in Canada and played for the Montreal Alouettes and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Finally, Allen wrapped up his career indoors with the Nashville Kats and Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League.
Terry Allen
FULL BIO - Terry Allen served as the UNI head football coach from 1989-1996 and accumulated a record of 75-26. Allen guided the Panthers to seven consecutive Gateway Football Conference championships and seven straight trips to the I-AA Playoffs. Allen was a five-time Gateway Coach of the Year, a two-time regional coach of the year and a 1996 finalist for National Coach of the Year. Allen also played quarterback at UNI from 1975-1978 and scored 32 rushing touchdowns to go along with 25 passing touchdowns.
George Aleson
FULL BIO - Charles City native George D. Asleson helped put a spark in the University of Northern Iowa football teams of 1959 and 1960. Asleson was a star guard at Charles City High School where he earned all-state and all-America honors. After spending two years at Iowa and four years as a senior draftsman in the United States Air Force, he became a dominant player for UNI in 1959.
Asleson played two seasons of football (1959-60) for the Panthers at both offensive guard and tackle. As a senior, he was co-captain of a team that went 9-1. The only loss came to Hillsdale in the Mineral Water Bowl, where Asleson was named Most Valuable Lineman. The 1960 team also captured the North Central Conference Championship. Asleson also was a 1960 AP All-American and first-team all-conference selection. He was a two-year letterwinner and was credited with an eight-yard interception return against Bradley in 1959. He also participated in track while at UNI.
Asleson finished his bachelor of arts degree in 1963 and moved to Downey, Calif., where he went to work as senior engineer for North American Aviation in the Space and Information Division. In 1967, he began work at the Planning and Research Corporation in Los Angeles, Calif., as associate consultant in the Missile Systems Division.
Dick Beetsch
FULL BIO - A four-year starter in three sports, Richard "Dick" Beetsch earned 12 varsity letters, received the Purple and Old Gold Athletic Award and never missed a game because of injury or illness between 1952-56. He broke several records in football, scored 1,029 points in basketball and played baseball as well.
His football numbers were outstanding and he finished his career with 153 receptions for 2,288 yards and 35 touchdowns. He once scored four touchdowns in a single game and ended his career with 212 total points scored. In 1953, he caught a career-best 54 balls to lead the nation for small colleges. A small college second team All-American, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1956. As a basketball coach, he was named conference and region Coach of the Year in Minnesota.
Eddie Berlin
FULL BIO - Eddie Berlin was a four-year all-conference honoree and a first-team All-American in 2000. His consistency and durability were matched only by his skill. He owns the school record for consecutive games with a catch at 44, the mark stands third in the MVC/Gateway record book. He is second in the UNI record book for receptions in a game at 14 and tops the career reception mark at 249. He closed his career with 3,735 receiving yards, second only to Dedric Ward on the career-record mark. He holds the UNI record for single-season touchdowns at 16 and he is second all-time for his career touchdowns with 34. He led the league in receiving yards in the 1998 and 2000 seasons. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL draft and played five seasons in Tennessee. He was a mainstay on special teams where he was named the Titans Special Teams Player of the Game on three different occasions and game captain twice. He closed his NFL career in Chicago after the 2005 season. He played in 62 games and closed NFL career with 26 receptions for 379 yards and two touchdowns, including one on a fake punt. He is now a business consultant in the Chicago area.
Burl Berry
FULL BIO - In 1932, Burl Berry, a native of Wellman, Iowa, was voted a small college football All-American. Berry attended Iowa State Teachers College from 1928-32. He put his mark on future generations by winning a contest naming the school mascot and colors.
He excelled in football, holding many of the school's rushing records. Following his senior year, he won the Berg Trophy for Most Valuable Player. He was asked to try out for the Green Bay Packers, but due to injury, he was unable to take the field. Berry also participated in track. Coach Art Dickinson called him the "best 220-yard-dash man" he had ever coached. He qualified for the Olympic Trials, but once again, he was plagued by injury.
Upon graduation, he coached at several schools in Iowa, including Grinnell College and Iowa State, where he coached the first racially integrated Big Eight Conference track team. He received the Fullbright Lectureship Grant from the U.S. State Department in 1959 and took a year's leave of absence from ISU to teach physical education at the University of Tehran. While in Iran, Berry served as an adviser to the States and was employed by the Des Moines Public School System until he retired. He passed away in 1986.
Daniel Boals
FULL BIO - Dan Boals finished his career with 2,377 rushing yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He lettered four years for the State College of Iowa Panther football team and served as co-captain his junior and senior years. He represented SCI at the 1962 All-America Bowl in Tucson, Ariz.
Boals, a graduate of Urbandale (Ill.) High School, earned a B.A. in Physical Education (1963) and an M.A. in Physical Education (1967) from UNI. As a halfback and fullback at SCI, he broke the records for most yards rushing in a single season with 1,039 and most points in a single season with 90 on 12 touchdowns and 18 PATs in 1962. He scored 212 career points and held the school record for most conversions in one game with five. He was named the teamÕs Most Valuable Back in 1962. In North Central Conference play, Boals held records for most yards in a season with 757 (1962), most yards in one game with 208 against North Dakota (1961), and twice garnered NCC offensive back honors (1961-62).
Boals, who served as an offensive backfield coach at UNI under Stan Sheriff, compiled a career coaching record of 59-29-2 in 10 years. He began coaching at Charles City (Iowa) High School where his teams were 8-15-1 in three seasons. He then coached three years (1968-70) at Waterloo West High School where he posted a 21-5-1 record, including his most successful season when the team had an 8-1 mark in 1970. After serving as an assistant grid coach at UNI, he became head coach at Warrenville (Ill.) High School in Wheaton where he posted a 30-9-0 ledger in three years (1975-78). He also served as Warrenville's Director of Athletics.
Lou Bohnsack
FULL BIO - Lou Bohnsack had an overwhelming love of sports. In high school, he was a member of the 1948 Manning Iowa State Basketball Championship team and the following year, he earned All-Southwest Conference honors in football and basketball. His senior year, he proved to be an all-around athlete by earning second team all-state basketball recognition and fifth team all-state mention in football.
In 1929, he turned down an offer from the University of Nebraska, deciding he was not ready to leave Iowa. He attended Iowa State Teacher's College from 1949-1953. His determination and great desire led him to be a successful student-athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. He played basketball under coach Hon Nordly and baseball under Mon Whitford in 1949-1950. He played football under Buck Starbeck from 1949-1953. It was said by many that he was the best all-around athlete in the state of Iowa at the time.
His compassion led him to earn all-conference first team center honors in 1951 and 1952. And in 1952, he was named a first team Little All-America center after earning honorable mention All-America accolades the previous season. Bohnsack was invited to join the Cleveland Browns spring training camp upon graduation but declined, saying it was time to "hang up the jock" and move on with his life.
After college, he became the head football coach and girls basketball coach at Reinbeck (Iowa) High School from 1953-55. In 1955, Bohnsack became the head football and boys track coach at Ida Grove (Iowa) High School. Five years later, he went to Fairfield (Iowa) High School and became the athletic director and head football coach from 1960-65. Bohnsack then decided to move to Esterville (Iowa) School District in 1965 to take the positions of middle school principal, high school principal, and assistant superintendent, where he remained until his death in 1974. He earned his bachelor's in physical education from ISTC in 1953 and went on to earn his master's in school administration from the University of Iowa in 1965.
Ben Boothby
FULL BIO - Ben Boothby was honored as the Merlin Taylor Academic Hall of Fame Award winner in 2012. Boothby was a two-time first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference pick and earned first-team All-America honors as a senior in 2011. Boothby earned second-team academic All-America accolades in 2010 and was a two-time first- team all-district academic pick. He was a finalist for the 2011 FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship and was a semifinalist for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy (Academic Heisman).
Carl Boyd
FULL BIO - Finding Cedar Falls on the map was the first thing Carl Boyd needed to do before deciding on playing football for the Panthers. Boyd's path was leading towards Eastern Illinois, heavily recruited by then Coach Darrell Mudra. But when the EIU coach became the head coach at Northern Iowa, Boyd decided to follow.
:To tell you the truth, I really don't know why I came to Northern Iowa," Boyd said. "Of all the schools that recruited me, this is the last one I wanted. But now I can honestly say, this was the best decision I have ever made."
His time at Percy L. Julian High School in Chicago was very productive. Boyd was named all-section, all-City and all-state two years in a row. Opposing teams underestimated Boyd because of size and did not look at his willingness to win. Standing 5 feet 6 inches tall, Boyd worked his way into holding onto the two best rushing seasons in UNI history. In 1985, he rushed for 1,258 yards and in 1987, 1,223. At the time of his graduation, including the playoffs, the two totals put him at no. 1 and 2 on the all-time rushing leaders at UNI.
In 1985, his 17 touchdowns and 116 points led the Gateway Conference in scoring and set school records in TDs scored in a season and points scored in a season. His 1,258 yards and 4.4 yards per carry ranked him fourth in the conference and 22nd in the nation. In 1986, Football News named him 2nd team All-America, and he also earned Associated Press Honorable Mention and first team all-conference honors. In 1987, Boyd was named Offensive Player of the Year in the Gateway Conference and first team all-conference. His season was topped off by being named a Kodak 1st team and an Associated Press 2nd team all-American selection. He also was elected team co-captain his senior year and was a finalist for the NCAA Post-graduate Scholarship. In 1996, Boyd was named to the Gateway Conference All-Decade Team.
During his school years, he was involved in many student organizations, including serving as president of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and of the Ethnic Minority Student Association. He was named Outstanding Young Man of America. In May 1987, Boyd received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology and Sociology. He then attended Drake University Law School.
Loren Buser
FULL BIO - Voted the Outstanding Lineman in the 1964 Pecan Bowl, Loren Edward "Booze" Buser attended State College of Iowa from 1962-66.
He played football from 1963-65, running number two at fullback but obviously making a name for himself on defense. He captained the 1965 team, the same season he was the recipient of the Oil Can Award, a team award given to the player who seems to make things move the smoothest. He also wrestled his freshman year. A North Central Conference first team selection as a linebacker his senior year, he captained the 1965 Iowa All-Star Game, which pitted University of Iowa and Iowa State University players against small college players.
He went on to be drafted by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, playing two seasons there. He started every game at linebacker until becoming injured midway through his second year, and also ran back kickoffs. He called the defensive signals both years, rare for a rookie, and was voted one of the most popular players on the team by the Alouette fans.
Buser earned 13 letters in football, track, baseball and basketball at Columbus Community High School in Columbus Junction, Iowa. His football team went undefeated during one 22-game streak and won the Southeast Iowa Hawkeye Conference during each of his four years.
Besides his athletic accomplishments, Buser was instrumental, along with then athletic director and football coach Stan Sheriff, in setting up the UNI Athletic Club and has been active in the organization ever since, including serving as president three times. He received an Alumni Service Award in 1974.
August Camarata
FULL BIO - Cedar Falls native August L. "Pudge" Camarata helped put a spark in the Iowa State Teachers College football teams of 1942 and 1946.
Camarata was a star fullback at Cedar Falls High School where, in 1939, he earned all-state honors. After spending a year at Wartburg College and a year on the ISTC freshman team, he became a sensation in 1942. An ankle injury forced Camarata to miss the seasonÕs first two games and play only briefly in the third. But when he got his chance against Morning side, he took advantage of it, rushing for 165 yards and leading the Panthers to a 26-6 victory. Camarata finished the season as the Panthers' fourth-leading scorer with four touchdowns.
Between 1943 and 1945, he served in World War II as a Marine, earning a Sliver Star Medal for Gallantry in Action against enemy forces and a Purple Heart in a June 11, 1945 battle at Okinawa, Japan. When he returned in 1946, he brought the spirit of victory to the Panthers and led them to the North Central Conference Championship. Led by Camarata, the Panthers finished second in the nation in rushing offense and seventh in the nation in total offense. Camarata ranked third in the conference in total points scored and first in points per game. For his efforts, he was named to the all-conference team and received third team Little All-America honors from the Associated Press.
He was an eighth-round draft choice of the Chicago Rockets and a 12th-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions in 1947. He finished his bachelor of arts degree in 1948 and moved on to Eagle Grove, Iowa, where he coached junior college football and high school wrestling. In 1950, he was called back to active duty with the Marines, earning his second Silver Star for Gallantry in Action against enemy forces on June 11, 1951, in Korea.
After serving three years int eh Korean Conflict, Camarata came back to Waterloo to work in the sales department of a large John Deere dealership. While there, he helped pioneer the Harvestore storage and livestock feeding systems. During this period, he also was the commanding officer of the Waterloo Marine Corp Reserve Unit. After eight years at John Deere, Camarata became the owner-operator of an A.O. Smith Harvestore Dealership where he spent the next 25 years.
Paul Devan
FULL BIO - In 1945, Des Moines native Paul DeVan started his football career at Iowa State Teachers College. He took 1946 off but was back in 1947. For the next three years, DeVan was a key member on the Panther gridiron, and ISTC won the North Central Conference title each year he played.
His first year back on the field, he led the NCC in scoring. The 1947 ISTC football "Dope Book" said he was a "sophomore back from the 1945 eleven. An excellent open field runner – also a tough line cracker." He played in four conference games and scored six touchdowns, tallying 36 points as a halfback. DeVan won honorable mention Little All-American honors that season.
In 1948, he once again was the big scorer in the NCC, scoring 54 conference points and a total of 66 including non-conference games. He led the Panthers in passing and rushing. He was selected all-conference for both defense and offense. In 1949, DeVan proved he was consistent, and once again was the league's high scorer with 42 points. He again was a two-way all-conference pick. He was also an AP first-team Little All-American. DeVan also was a member of the ISTC track team from 1947-49.
In 1953, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams, the moved to the Calgary Stampeders in Canada and Resigned in 1954 when a knee injury forced the end of his playing career. He then worked as a director with the Training and Research Foundation. During his professional career, he received many honors and awards, including being selected as Citizen Ambassador to Russia by the Citizen Ambassador Program of People to People International, founded by Dwight D. Eisenhower, for the purpose of professional, scientific and technical exchanges. He also published two books and manuals for the Head Start program.
Dick Dotson
FULL BIO - Dick Dotson is no stranger to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area, having graduated from East Waterloo High School in 1957 and having been a teacher and coach at West Waterloo High School for 34 years.
In 1957, Dotson was named East's Most Valuable Athlete, and he earned recognition as a first team all-state basketball player. He also captured the state pole vault title.
He brought his talent with him to Iowa State Teacher's College where he became a three-year outdoor and two-year indoor conference champ in the pole vault and co-captain of the track team. Dotson set the school's pole vault record of 13-10 in 1961. He played basketball two years under James Witham and football for one year.
After graduation, he became a teacher at West Waterloo and remained there for 34 years. He was the assistant varsity football coach for six years and the assistant basketball coach for five years. He served as the head cross country coach for 12 years and his team claimed the state championship in 1978. In addition to his notable cross country coaching achievements, he was the head track coach for 21 years. Dotson's athletes earned 11 state titles and finished in the top 10 for 10 consecutive years, including three fourth-place finishes. Dotson was a positive asset in Waterloo sports at the high school and collegiate levels through his teaching and coaching.
He also officiated basketball for 17 years – 11 at the prep level and eight years in the Big Eight Conference. Throughout Dotson's career, he met up with some legendary athletes. He played football against Dallas Cowboys star Dan Perkins, basketball against PGA pro golfer Jack Rule Jr., and taught wrestler Dan Gable. He also owned and operated his own pool business for more than 25 years.
LeRoy Dunn
FULL BIO - LeRoy Dunn held bragging rights as one of the best tacklers in UNI gridiron history.
After completing his early education in Manly, Iowa, he continued his education at UNI, then called Iowa State Teachers College. He received his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1956, then his master's in 1960 and his doctorate in 1963 in the areas of driver and traffic safety education.
From 1952-55, he became one of ISTC's most successful players, earning all-conference honors in 1953, 1954 and 1955. He was honored as the conference MVP in 1955 when he also was named a Williamson RatingÕs first team All-American at tackle.
Following his schooling, Dunn coached football, basketball and track at the Iowa Training School for Boys from 1956-59. He taught driver and traffic safety education at Michigan State University from 1959-62., then served as director of safety and transportation and professor of driver and traffic safety education at State University College, Oswego, New York, from 1962-68.
Dunn then was appointed executive chief of the traffic safety program and educational advisor for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation in 1968. During his career, he held numerous positions in various professional organizations, including serving as chairman of the Campus Safety Committee of the National Safety Council, was a local president and state district president of the Oswego Junior Chamber of Commerce, served on the board of directors of the Capitol Hill Kiwanis Club and as chairman of the Driver Education Committee of the National Academy of Sciences.
He was voted one of New York state's Ten Outstanding Jaycees in 1965 and was awarded a Junior Chamber of Commerce International Senatorship in 1967. He received the Federal Highway Administrator's Incentive Awards Program "Special Achievement Award" in 1973. He published nearly 50 articles on driver education and safety.
George Dutcher
FULL BIO - George Charles "Pappy" Dutcher graduated from Waterloo West High School in 1934. He earned three letters in football, was team captain, an all-conference selection and was named to the all-state second team in 1933. He also was all-city in both 1932 and 1933. He attended Iowa State Teachers College from 1936-39 and 1945, earning his degree the summer of 1946. He played both quarterback and halfback from 1937-39 and in 1945. Described as a "real crasher who has plenty of shiftiness when he cared to use it", he was named MVP and all-conference in 1938. He was all-conference again in 1939.
He was president of the "I" Club in 1946 and was a recipient of the Purple and Old Gold Award the same year. From 1946-49, Dutcher taught and coached at Oelwein where his teams compiled a 24-10 mark. They were Northeast Iowa Conference champions once and placed second once and third twice. He also coached basketball from 1947-48, taking Oelwein to its first state tournament. In 1950, he returned to West High to coach football and teach social science and physical education. Renowned for the use of the single wing offense, his teams compiled an 88-50-6 mark.
Dutcher retired from coaching in 1966, but among the many outstanding athletes he mentored was former Dallas Cowboys standout Don Perkins, who played in the early '60s. In 1968, he was named to the High School Coaches Football Hall of Fame. Throughout his athletic career, Dutcher officiated both basketball and football. In fact, he officiated a few NBA games when Waterloo was affiliated with the NBA.
Kelly Ellis
FULL BIO - Waterloo native Kelvin "Kelly" Ellis made headlines as a key athlete at Northern Iowa.
Ellis was a star running back on the football team and sprinter on the track team at Waterloo West High School where he earned all-state, all-district, all-Big 8, all-Big 5 and two-time all-American honors. Twice he was named Most Valuable Player and was also named MVP in the Iowa High School All-Star game. Ellis finished his high school career by winning the 100 meter dash and anchoring the 4x100 meter relay team at the Drake Relays.
He set many records at the University of Northern Iowa in both football and track from 1977-81. In 1978, Kelly owned school records in the 60- and 300-yard dash and the 800, 400 yard and 400-meter relay teams. 1979 was a great year for him. On the football field, he set six school records. Against Western Illinois, he set an NCAA record for total offense with an amazing 405 yards. That record stood for seven years (1979-86). His other records included most rushing yards in a single game (382), season and career. He also had the most rushing attempts in a single game and career.
He graduated from UNI in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in design in human environment and minor in behavioral science. Ellis then went on to be supervisor at Williams Pipe Line Company.
Don Erusha
FULL BIO - Very few coaches can say that they have touched as many lives of so many young athletes as Don Erusha. For most of his life, Erusha has given himself to the game of football. He gave himself to the players.
Erusha graduated from Franklin High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He then went on to be a three-year starting guard for Coe College, playing on the 1950 Midwest Conference Championship team. He received his degree in physical education in 1952. He then went to the University of Iowa, receiving his Master's in 1958. After graduation, he was named the assistant football coach, head womenÕs basketball and track coach at West Branch, Iowa, serving from 1953-55. He then moved to West Union (Iowa) High School where he was head football and basketball coach from 1955-56, only to return to his alma mater, Coe College, in 1962 to assist in football duties and coach the wrestling team.
In 1963, Erusha accepted a position as Associate Professor of Physical Education at the University of Northern Iowa, a position he held for nearly 40 years. While at UNI, Erusha also served as the Director of Intramurals from 1978-95 and Coordinator of Campus Recreation from 1991-1995.
Erusha may be best recognized for his accomplishments on the sidelines. He was part of the UNI coaching staff with the legendary Stan Sheriff that won four North Central Conference crowns and two Mid-Continent titles. After the 1987 football season, Erusha made the transition back from college to high school. Erusha spent the next eight years as an assistant coach for Cedar Falls High School, winning a state championship in 1986. He then took a year off to get back onto the college scene, before returning to the high school ranks.
Erusha received the 1991 Iowa Football Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year award for his contribution to the game and students. The following year, he was presented The 30 Years of Coaching Award. In 1994, Erusha moved to Division III football as an assistant coach at Wartburg College until 1997. Throughout his career Erusha coached 12 college all-Americans and 17 high school all-staters. He is a member of the Coe College and Washington High School Athletic Halls of Fame.
Mark Farley
FULL BIO - Mark Farley (1982-86 student-athlete; 2001-present head coach) walked on to the UNI football team in the fall of 1982.
He received the Special Team Award his second year, then became a starting inside linebacker three years. He earned honorable mention all-America honors twice, was named Gateway Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year and was selected a team co-captain. He led the team in tackles three consecutive years. During Farley's three years as a starter, UNI compiled a 27-7-1 record and advanced to the 1985 FCS semifinals.
Farley went straight from a player to a graduate assistant for two years under Coach Darrell Mudra and then was elevated to a full-time assistant. Between 1987-96, he was the position coach for such former UNI stars as Bryce Paup, James Jones, William Freeney and Andre Allen. Paup and Jones went on to play in the NFL, of course, while Allen and Freeney played in the Arena League and CFL. Four times Farley's players were named league Defensive Players of the Year.
Farley, once known as the "walk on from Waukon", has led the UNI Panthers to 174 wins in his 22 years at the helm of the program since taking over the head coaching duties in 2001. Farley is the MVFC's all-time coaching wins leader.
Eugene Fisher
FULL BIO - Eugene "Bud" Fisher's speedy heroics on the football field made him one of Iowa State Teacher College's most highly respected players of his time.
A 5-10, 165-pound safety from Cedar Falls High School, he was no stranger to football. His father, Eugene L. Fisher, Sr., is an Iowa High School Hall of Famer for his accomplishments as a coach at Cedar Falls and West Branch High Schools. Lettering at ISTC in 1948, the younger Fisher contributed to the Tutor defense primarily as a safety, making key interceptions. His speed caught the eye of then Head Coach Clyde Starbeck, who eventually would allow him to carry the ball. And carry the ball he did. His intuitiveness and speed made him a scoring threat every time his hands touched the ball. He scored 24 points that year on long, evasive runs, the most impressive against Western Michigan, when he ran for a 72-yard touchdown, scoring the game-winning points in one of the biggest upsets of the 1948 season. He helped the Tutors capture a 19-0 shutout over North Dakota State with a 55-yard run. He also had key games against Augustana College, where he had 65- and 55-yard scores, leading the Panthers to a 34-0 win. On defense, he helped lead the Tutors to a 7-3 record with key interceptions against various teams, including one against North Dakota that set the Panthers up for a pivotal touchdown and a 24-14 victory.
In 1949, he also helped lead the Panthers to their second North Central Conference Championship in his two years at ISTC. His final season for the Panthers proved to be his best performance. As the only returning varsity tailback, he rushed for over 870 yards. His season high came against Augustana College, where he had three touchdowns, including an 86-yard run for a score. He averaged 9.0 yards that season. Not only a talented tailback, he also contributed on special teams. His effort made him the Small College rushing leader that season. He also contributed on defense, with a game-high two interceptions against North Dakota. He ended his senior year with a national-leading 873 yards, ending a brilliant career.
After graduation, he took the head football coaching job at Nevada (Iowa) High School in 1951. He coached at Nevada for three years before leaving to coach at Dudlow (Iowa) Junior High, where he coached four years. In 1958, he served as assistant coach to A.J. "Butch" Stofla at Davenport (Iowa) Central High School. And in 1967, he accepted the job as head coach at Davenport West High where he also served as the physical education department head, and later as Athletic Director. After his tenure at West High, in 1973 he accepted a job as the Saline (Mich.) Area Community School Program Director, and gained his Doctoral Degree the following year (1974) from the University of Michigan.
James Fox
FULL BIO - Waterloo native James Fox lettered in football and wrestling at then Iowa State Teachers College (ISTC) before entering a very successful coaching career. In 1943, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in commerce from ISTC. He continued his education at the Colorado State College of Education, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in health and physical education.
His coaching career began in 1946 at Britt High School, where he coached football and started a wrestling program during his two-year stay. Fox moved to Davenport High School where he was the head wrestling coach and a football assistant. His wrestling squads won state titles in 1954 and 1956, and were second-place finishers in 1955.
His coaching success continued when he shifted to Davenport Central High School in 1960. Fox's football teams won state championships in 1972, 1976, and 1983. While his teams were winning state tiles, he was garnering individual honors. In 1963, he was named State College of Iowa Alumni Football Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 1971, and was received into the Iowa High School Officials Hall of Fame in 1982. The Des Moines Register named him Coach of the Year in 1973.
The following year, Fox was selected to coach the Shrine Bowl. He accepted the athletic director's position at St. Ambrose University in 1984. The Quad City Sports Hall of Fame made him a member in 1989, and he was named NAIA Administrator of the Year later that year.
Joe Fuller
FULL BIO - In the early-to-mid-1980s Joe Fuller was a force to be reckoned with on the University of Northern Iowa defense. Fuller was a defensive back for the Panthers from 1982-1985, instilling fear into opposing teams’ offenses. The All-American helped lead UNI to a record of 30-15 over four seasons, including a perfect 5-0 league record and a conference championship in 1985.
Fuller was named a Kodak All-American and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American in 1985, along with earning all-conference honors in 1983, 1984 and 1985. But like many outstanding athletes, Fuller excelled in not just one sport, but also was a member of the UNI track and field team in 1983 and 1985.
Following his career with the Purple and Gold, Fuller’s outstanding football abilities allowed him to play professionally in the Canadian Football League and also in the NFL. Fuller was a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders immediately following his four years as a Panther. After registering 66 tackles and seven interceptions for 131 yards, he began to turn heads of NFL scouts and earned a spot on the Minnesota Vikings developmental roster. A year later, Fuller found himself with the San Diego Chargers and then spent a year with the Green Bay Packers. Following three seasons with the NFL, Fuller returned to the CFL to play for the Ottawa Roughriders, Shreveport Pirates and Toronto Argonauts.
Mike Furrey
FULL BIO - Mike Furrey was a three-time All-America honoree for the Panther football team from 1997-1999. Furrey caught 242 passes (3rd in MVFC history) for 3,544 yards (4th in MVFC history). Furrey earned first-team all-conference honors in 1997, 1998 and 1999. In 2006, Furrey ranked second in the National Football League in receptions (98). Furrey played seven years in the NFL for the Rams, Lions and Browns.
John Gregory
FULL BIO - Though John Gregory has an impressive list of football achievements in his history, he may best be known for developing NFL Player of the Year Kurt Warner into the quarterback he became to be.
Gregory got his start at Webster City (Iowa) High School where he competed in football, basketball, baseball and track, earning 11 total letters. He played on two undefeated football teams, was selected captain and Most Valuable Player his senior year, and was named to the Elite First Team All-State Team. He went on to play here for Iowa State Teachers College where he was a three-year letterman. He was a member of the 1959 and 1960 North Central Conference Championship teams and played in the Mineral Bowl in 1960. He graduated in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in science and then received his master's in physical education from Mankato State University. Upon completing his education, he was named an assistant football, basketball and track coach at Fort Dodge (Iowa) High School and then was named head football coach and assistant in basketball and track at Lake City (Iowa) High School.
He moved up to become athletic director and assistant football coach at Iowa Central Community College from 1967-70, compiling a 24-3-1 record. He recruited John Matusak, who was the No. 1 selection in the 1974 NFL Draft. He was the defensive coordinator at South Dakota State from 1970-71 and was promoted to head coach in 1971, a position he held until 1981. He took SDSU to its first playoff appearance in 1979 and then ranked second on the school's all-time win list.
Gregory was UNI's offensive coordinator from 1981-82, and then served as the offensive line coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League from 1983-87. He was named head coach and director of football operations for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in 1987, where he stayed until 1991. His team won the 1989 Grey Cup when he was selected the CFL Coach of the Year. He was the head coach and general manager of the Hamilton Tiger Cats from 1991-95. The Cats advanced to the playoffs four years and he was runner-up for the CFL Coach of the Year in 1991.
After coaching in Canada, Gregory was named head coach and director of football operations for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena League. The Barnstormers competed in five division championships in six years and participated in two Arena Bowls in 1996-97. He compiled a record of 61-32 in Des Moines. He recruited and developed Warner and Aaron Garcia into top quarterbacks in the AFL and was selected Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996 while placing second in 1997. Following his stay in Des Moines, the team moved to Long Island, N.Y., and became the New York Dragons. The Dragons advanced to the playoffs in 2000 and Gregory retired from coaching not long after.
Gregory was inducted into the Rough Riders Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Webster City High School Hall of Fame in 1994.
Jim Harmon
FULL BIO - Jim Harmon, a Waterloo native, participated in track and football for ISTC during the 1950s, but he was best known for his wrestling skills.
His first appearance at the school was from 1951-54. During this period, he won first place in the ISTC wrestling tournament's 147-poind division. Later that season, he place second at the NCAA championships in the same weight class. He moved up to the 157-pound class the following season and won the national championship.
Harmon left school for four years to serve in the United States Navy, but he continued his wrestling interest. In 1956, he coached his wrestling team to an undefeated season and the 12h Naval District team championship. Individually, he placed second in the all-Navy and the AAU Far West wrestling tournaments. He returned to school in 1958 to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics with business and physical education minors. In 1960, he resumed a military career that was to be long and distinguished. His list of awards are numerous - a Silver Star, a Marine Corps medal, a Bronze Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses and 19 Air Medals.
After retiring as captain in 1977, Harmon became engaged in farming and land development.
Jack Jennett
FULL BIO - Although not a University of Northern Iowa graduate, Jack Jennett has some very strong ties to the school. He's a 1949 Sac City (Iowa) High School graduate, where he lettered in four sports - football, basketball, track and baseball. He was all-conference in three of the sports and a state champ in the pole vault in 1948.
Jennett attended Drake University where he received his B.S. in 1953 and his M.A. in 1956. He was a two-sport standout with the Bulldogs in football and track. He was a pulling guard in football and was elected captain in the 1952 season. He participated in track as a pole vaulter and was the Central Collegian Champion his senior year. Graduating with a B.S. in physical education in 1953, Jennett stayed with the Drake football team as a graduate assistant before heading to Lake City, Iowa, as the head football and track coach in 1954. His Lake City track team won both indoor and outdoor state track championships in 1955.
From Lake City, he went to Morningside College as head track and assistant football coach. He spent six years reviving Morningside's track program, and the 1956 football team won the North Central Conference title. In 1961, he moved to Buena Vista College where he was head football and track coach before coming to UNI in 1962.
In his 14-year tenure with the Panthers, he won 11 North Central Conference track crowns, including six outdoor and five indoor titles. Jennett-coached athletes earned 20 all-America honors in track and six in cross country. His most successful cross country team was the 1964 North Central Conference champions which went on to place third in the NCAA national meet. His knowledge of the sport has made it possible for him to referee the 1975 Drake Relays Decathlon and the 1995 NCAA men's and women's cross country championship held in Ames. He coached fellow Hall of Famers Larry McCready, Mike McCready, Dennis Schultz, Bill Bergan and Wayne Carpenter.
He has been inducted into the Iowa High School Track Coach's Hall of Fame. His success has landed him a spot in the North Central Conference Hall of Fame and Sac City High School Hall of Fame.
Paul Jones
FULL BIO - As UNI's very first football all-American, Paul "Jonesy" Jones has been immortalized in Panther football history. He was a star end for head coach Clyde Starbeck from 1935-1937, earning North Central All-Conference honors twice.
A gritty 180 pounder, he was named to Williamson's 1937 Class Two All-American first team as a senior. The football field wasn't the only place he excelled. In 1936, he found time to become an Intramural Wrestling Champion and was also a Blue-Key member. He served as president of the "I" club from 1937 to 1938, and also was on the Inter-Fraternity Council those same years.
After graduation from UNI in 1938 with a degree in physical education, Jones coached football at Correctionville, Iowa until 1940. He spent the following year on the sidelines at Adair, Iowa, and then went on to coach in Spencer, Iowa, until 1942.
His coaching career came to an end however, when World War II intensified. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942 and served until 1946. A First Lieutenant, he spent two years in the South Pacific, earning the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. After the war, he returned to farming near his hometown of Aurelia, Iowa, and retired in 1980.
Lynn King
FULL BIO - Not many athletes earn the opportunity to play two collegiate sports, but from 1964-1969 Lynn King embraced that opportunity and excelled at both track and field and football for the University of Northern Iowa.
As a football player under Stan Sheriff’s direction, King proved to be an important asset to the Panther defense. King recorded three interceptions against Augustana on Oct. 8, 1966 and still co-holds the record for most interceptions in a single game.
While King provided a spark on the Panther defense, track and field was the sport where King found a strong passion. As a student-athlete for the Panthers, King was a pole vaulter, long jumper and triple jumper, and was NCAA Regional Champion in the javelin throw in 1968. He was co-captain of the team his senior year.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in physical education from UNI in 1969, King was drafted into the Army where he served as a military policeman. But King’s passion for track and field brought him back to UNI in 1971 as a graduate assistant under then head coach Jack Jennett. King earned his master’s degree from UNI in physical education in 1972.
King took his passion for track and field and was named head track and field coach at Rochester Community College in 1972. He stayed at Rochester until he was given the opportunity to return to his alma mater, being named UNI’s head track and cross country coach in the summer of 1976.
As head coach for the Panthers, King coached 25 All-Americans, won 11 conference team titles and crowned two national champions. King was selected as NCAA regional or conference coach of the year 10 times during his 13 years at the helm of UNI track and cross country.
In 1984, King was promoted to assistant athletics director at UNI. King served as Director of the UNI-Dome, while coordinating marketing, planning, promotions and scheduling of facilities.
In the summer of 1988, King was named Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Following his time at UW-Oshkosh, King returned to Iowa to serve as Director of Athletics at Drake University from 1990-2000. In the spring of 2000, King was named Director of Athletics at the University of the Pacific.
King kept his ties to track and field throughout the years. He served as the chair for the NCAA Track and Field Committee from 1995-1999 and was a member of the NCAA Olympic Sport Liaison Committee and the NCAA Leadership Council.
Josh Mahoney
FULL BIO - Josh Mahoney was the inaugural recipient of the Merlin Taylor Academic Hall of Fame Award in 2015.
In 2009, he received the Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship Award, the highest academic award the NCAA administers. He was chosen as one of 15 finalists for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy ("Academic Heisman"). Mahoney received two Division I Academic All-America selections for the Panthers (2nd Team, 2008; 1st Team, 2009), and posted a 4.0 grade point average at the school while majoring in English and economics.
He was a two-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection at linebacker, leading the team in tackles his junior and senior seasons. He played in 50 career games, securing four interceptions, nine tackles-for-loss, and 247 tackles for the Panthers during that time.
Mahoney is originally from Sioux Falls, S.D., and attended O'Gorman High School.
Brad Meester
FULL BIO - Brad Meester hails from Parkersburg, Iowa, and was a graduate of Aplington-Parkersburg High School.
Meester was a four-year starter for the Panthers and a two-time All-America selection. He was also a four-year all-conference performer as a Panther.
Meester tallied Academic All-America honors as a senior and was a two-time academic all-district pick.
He remains UNI’s and the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s highest National Football League draft pick as the Jacksonville Jaguars picked him with the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2000 draft.
Meester played and started in a franchise record 209 games for the Jaguars over 14 seasons. His first 48 starts were at left guard, followed up by 161 starts at center.
He was selected as Jacksonville’s recipient of the 2008 Ed Block Courage Award as well as the team’s nominee for the 2008 and 2010 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Meester earned his business management degree from UNI in 1999. He is currently residing in Jacksonville.
L.L. Mendenhall
FULL BIO - L. L. Mendenhall served as UNI's athletic director from 1921-60. He also served as football coach from 1921-24, baseball coach from 1922-23 and basketball coach from 1921-24. In football, he compiled a 15-11 record; in baseball, 10-6; and in basketball, 27-7. He also helped start the Northeast Iowa Interscholastic Track and Field Meet, now known as the A.D. Dickinson Relays.
Lee Miller
FULL BIO - Lee Miller started a lifetime connection with UNI as a student in 1949, playing on the football team for one season.
Miller graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1952 but did not disappear from the university scene, contributing in many different capacities over the next half-century.
He served has UNI’s Assistant Director Governmental Relations from 1971-1973. Miller was UNI’s Director of Alumni and Development from 1973-1985.
He moved on to UNI’s Director of Planned Giving from 1985-1989. Miller then became UNI’s Director of Athletic Development from 1989-1990.
Miller’s determination and drive led to $7 million in private funds to complete the UNI-Dome in 1976.
He initiated the Parents’ Association and the Students’ Association at UNI, as well as being a longtime member of the President’s Club.
Miller also lobbied the Iowa State Legislature in favor of UNI on numerous occasions.
Phil Minnick
FULL BIO - Playing at the collegiate level is a dream of every young boy and girl, and even fewer get to play at the professional level. Phil Minnick was able to excel at both levels.
During UNI collegiate career, the Iowa City native was co-captain of the football team in 1963 and 1964. The Panthers finished first in the North Central Conference in 1964 and played in the Pecan Bowl with a victory over Lamar Tech. Minnick was voted the Most Valuable Lineman in the NCC that same year and was an honorable mention all-American in 1963 and 1964.
After receiving his bachelor's degree in education, he joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1965, playing eight years - 1965-69, 1971, 1972 and 1973. His career leaped right into the limelight when in his rookie year, he recovered a Canadian Football League-record three fumbles in the Grey Cup game against Hamilton. His popularity grew, and he was named to the All-Pro CFL teams in 1966, 1967, and 1968. He was recognized as the Bombers' Most Valuable Lineman in 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969 by being named the Club's Schenley nominee at that position. He also was awarded the Dr. Bert Oja Trophy as Outstanding Lineman in 1967, 1968, and 1969. In addition, he justifiably was named the club's Most Popular Player in 1969 as recipient of the Air Canada Trophy. He also was team captain during the 1967, 1968, and 1969 seasons.
He was elected into the CFL Hall of Fame in 1988. Throughout his career, he demonstrated that football could be played with dedication, athletic ability and intelligence.
Pat Mitchell
FULL BIO - Pat Mitchell, a former rough and tough tight end for the Panthers, has made a name for himself as more than just a former all-conference selection. He is best known for guiding more than 1,300 football players through the ranks of Cedar Falls (Iowa) High School.
A prep standout at Osage (Iowa) High School, Mitchell started his collegiate career at UNI in 1958. Under the watchful eyes of coaches Bill Hammer and Stan Sheriff, Mitchell became a three-year starter as a tight end and defensive end between 1959 and 1962. He was named all-conference in 1962.
After graduation in 1963 with degrees in business education and physical education, Mitchell landed a job in Bakersfield, Calif., as an assistant football and wrestling coach. He then returned to the Midwest to Kenosha, Wis. He lasted a year there before an opportunity presented itself back in Cedar Falls. MitchellÕs former coach at UNI, Ed Lyons, had taken a job as head coach at Cedar Falls High School and asked Mitchell if he would be his assistant. Mitchell couldnÕt resist and after two years, Lyons took an administrative position and handed the head job over to Mitchell in 1967.
It didn't take Mitchell long to turn the Cedar Falls Tigers into a dominant program. In 1972, he led them to an undefeated regular season, a conference championship and a playoff berth. The 1972 season would be the first of no less than 18 playoff appearances, four state final appearances (1982, 1986, 1999 and 2005) and one state championship in 1986. Mitchell has had 36 winning seasons in his 40 years coaching. He has won the Big 8 and Missouri Valley Coach of the Year awards too many times to count. He earned Iowa Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors in 1999, and Des Moines Register Coach of the Year accolades in 1986. He compiled more than 250 wins at CFHS, which ranked him in the top 10th all-time in Iowa high school history.
Mitchell has coached countless all-staters, five high school All-Americans and five athletes who eventually played in the pros. Mitchell has mentored more than 85 assistant coaches, several of whom now are head coaches. It is estimated he taught more than 20,000 students as a physical education and driver's education teacher. Along with football, he coached the men's and women's golf teams for more than 30 years at Cedar Falls.
Jerry Morgan
FULL BIO - Jerry Morgan participated in three sports at Iowa State Teachers College, but he made his mark as a quarterback. In the 1959 and 1960 seasons, Morgan amassed more than 2,000 yards in total offense, including 1,403 passing yards over the two campaigns.
During his first season with the Panthers, Morgan may have earned the nickname "Mr. Everything" as he saw duty at quarterback, kicker, punter, wide receiver and kick returner. He excelled in nearly every category, with a 36-yard punt average, a 17-yard return average, while snagging four interceptions In 1960, Morgan continued his punting responsibilities, raising his average to 36.4 yards, but he began to concentrate on his signal-calling. That season, he ranked third in the North Central Conference in passing with 34 completions for 595 yards. He placed second in the league in total offense with 114 plays and 689 yards.
Overall, the UNI co-captain completed 72 passes in 160 attempts for 1,130 yards and 10 touchdowns. He ranked fifth in the NCC in punting with a 34.7 average. Morgan's accomplishments were rewarded. He led the 1960 team to the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo., completing 10 passes for 123 yards. At the end of the season, he was named first team All-America by Williams Pool and third team All-America by the Associated Press.
Morgan graduated in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, with an emphasis in coaching and athletic training. He played football for the Providence Steamrollers of the Atlantic Coast Conference and in 1964 was named conference MVP. He later spent more than 20 years as a basketball and football coach at Hope High School in Providence, R.I.
Darrell Mudra
FULL BIO - One of the biggest challenges in college football is rebuilding a team from the bottom up. Darrell Mudra was known around the country for turning teams into playoff contenders. He was nicknamed "Dr. Victory" because of successful stints at virtually every college coaching job he took on.
He started his coaching career at Adams State in 1959, leading his team to the Mineral Bowl in 1962. In 1963, he became head coach at North Dakota State, turning a 0-10 football team into 1964 Mineral Bowl Champions, winning his first national championship in 1965. He then coached the University of Arizona, guiding it to the 1968 Sun Bowl, then leaving to coach Florida State for two years before going to Eastern Illinois to win his second national championship.
The 1951 graduate of Peru State coached the University of Northern Iowa team from 1983-87. Mudra compiled a 43-16-1 record with UNI, leading the Panthers to two Gateway Conference Titles and two trips to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals in 1985 and 1987. His efforts during the 1985 season earned him Kodak Region 4 Coach of the Year. At the end of the 1987 season, the Panthers were ranked fourth in the country.
In his 28 years of coaching, Mudra netted a 200-81-4 record, leading teams to six bowl appearances and four I-AA playoff appearances. His 200 wins rank him second on the all-time NCAA Division I-AA coaching list. In 2000, Mudra was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, having already being inducted into Peru State, North Dakota State, Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois Halls of Fame.
Charles Pastorino
FULL BIO - Charlie Pastorino played football for Iowa State Teachers College from 1938-41. He came from New York City's James Monroe High School, where he earned tow letters and was an all-New York City pick as a senior.
Better known as the "Mighty Midget" because of his size (5-6, 156 pounds), he lettered each of his three years of varsity competition, making first team all-North Central Conference in 1941. During that season, he scored four touchdowns and one extra point for 25 points. He was also named Little All-American and made the Des Moines Register's all-conference team at both running back and safety.
In 1941, Pastorino left UNI, joined the army and fought in World War II. He returned to UNI in 1947 to complete his bachelor's degree in physical education. Upon graduation, he entered the coaching ranks, starting out at St. Mary's High School in Waterloo. He coached three sports, excelling in each. He began coaching basketball in the middle of the season, finishing the year 0-20. However, his mark there improved to 103-89 overall, including finishing 17-7 in 1947. The St. Mary's baseball team fared just as well, compiling a 61-42 mark during Pastorino's tenure, and never had a losing season. His 1955 squad defeated East Waterloo in the sectional finals.
In football, his overall record was 40-18-2 with only one losing season, his first. Pastorino left St. Mary's in 1955 heading to Tama High School (now North Tama). He coached football, wrestling and track there. In football, his teams compiled a 63-37-6 record and were South Iowa Cedar Conference champs five straight years. He retired from coaching duties in 1967. Pastorino was inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1971. His career record was 103-55-8.
Bryce Paup
FULL BIO - To sum up this inductee's accomplishments as a player almost is impossible, considering the enormous amount of achievements he has accumulated throughout his career.
A three-year starter at inside and outside linebacker, defensive end/slash nose tackle, Bryce Paup totaled 298 tackles, 15 sacks, two interceptions, six forced fumbles with three fumbles recovered in his career as a Panther. He earned All-Gateway Conference honors and was named third team All-America by the Associated Press in 1989. Born in Scranton, Iowa, Paup came to UNI as a four-year letterman in football and three-year letterman in basketball. He accelerated to the top of the depth chart at UNI, becoming one of the most dominant players of his time. He ended his senior season with 84 solo and 31 assisted tackles, setting the school record for most tackles.
In 1990, he was picked in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, becoming the 159th player selected. In 1991, he played in 12 games before being put on the injury list while playing rover linebacker. Before his injury, he managed to record 7.5 sacks, ranking second on the team and 16th in the NFC, along with 28 tackles and three forced fumbles. He was named NFC Co-Defensive Player of the Week after making 4.5 sacks and seven tackles versus Tampa Bay before tearing his gastric muscle in his left leg. His 1992 season proved to be a little bit luckier. He registered 6.5 sacks, again ranking second on the team, and 20th in the NFC. He had 43 tackles and two fumble recoveries. In 1993, he started 14 of 15 games at four different positions. He accumulated 78 tackles and 10 sacks behind leading tackler and sack artist Reggie White.
His 1994 campaign proved to be one of his most exciting years of his career. He was selected for his first Pro Bowl and named All-Pro by USA Today and All-NFC by United Press International. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career. He finished second on the team with 79 tackles and third in sacks with 7.5. He also was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week and NFC Defensive Player of the Month. A move to Buffalo in 1995 proved to be a great decision, as he provided one of the best seasons ever for a linebacker in NFL history in his first season with the Bills. He earned Defensive Player of the Year accolades from the Associated Press, and the George Halas Award as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, as well. Paup was named first team All-Pro by the Associated Press, was selected the AFC Defensive Player of the Year, and was named to the All-Madden Team. He finished this season with 126 tackles and led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
In 1996, he was voted to his third consecutive Pro Bowl and was named All-AFC Second Team. In 1997, he was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl appearance of his career, and was an AFC Defensive Player of the Week. In 1999, he moved to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He started 14 of 16 regular season games, ending the season with 52 tackles, one sack and two passes defended. He ended his career with the Minnesota Vikings.
Ray Pedersen
FULL BIO - Ray Pedersen enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa (then called State College of Iowa) in the fall of 1964.
During Pedersen’s four years as a football player on the Panther squad (1964-1967), he quickly excelled as a strong dominate lineman on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Pedersen became the last player in Northern Iowa football history to start and play on both the offensive and defensive platoons.
For three straight years, because of Pedersen’s brilliant performance on the field, he was selected as a three-time first-team all-North Central Conference performer.
At his defensive end position, Pedersen was like a raging bull, stuffing any lineman or running back that dared to enter his territory. With quickness and tenacity, Pedersen could rush down any quarterback that attempted a forward pass.
At his offensive guard position, Pedersen was a relentless powerful blocker, opening the way for Panther running backs to gain substantial yardage. As co-captain during the 1967 campaign, Pedersen helped lead the team to a strong second-place finish in the North Central Conference – with the only loss coming in a 10-9 defeat to North Dakota State.
At the close of his senior year, Pedersen was chosen as the most valuable defensive player in the North Central Conference. Pedersen also received the honor of being selected as an Associated Press first-team all-America defensive lineman.
Former UNI head coach Stan Sheriff used to fearlessly identify Pedersen as “the best lineman I have ever coached.”
Pedersen is retired and he and his wife, Trish, reside in Torrance, Calif. His daughter, Elizabeth Gibson, and her husband, Nate, have two daughters (Mykah and Willow) and they live in Redondo Beach, Calif. His daughter, Bonnie Joubert, and her husband, J.P., have two daughters (Elana and Esme) and they live in Durham, N.C. His son, Robert, resides in Houston, Texas.
John Raffensperger
FULL BIO - Many young athletes can only dream of becoming a two-sport standout during their collegiate career, but for Iowa City High alumnus John Raffensperger, it became a reality.
The man who is known to many as Raff was a three-year starter on the gridiron while attending the Iowa State Teachers College. He was a member of the school’s first team to compete in a bowl game, when his undefeated squad played in the 1960 Mineral Bowl. During this time he was named all-North Central Conference twice and earned All-America Honorable Mention honors during his senior year.
When Raff wasn’t knocking down opponents on the football field, he was busy winning championships and leading the team in scoring on the track.
As a sophomore, Raff was a member of the North Central Conference mile relay championship team and earned an NCAA regional championship in the 220-yard hurdles. He also placed third in the 440-yard dash and long jump.
During his junior year, he placed in five events at the NCC meet.
While serving as co-captain, Raff helped capture the Panthers capture the 1962 North Central Conference team title. He also was crowned a conference champion in the 220-yard hurdles and the 440-yard dash during his senior campaign.
Raff was a 1962 recipient of the Purple and Gold Award for Conspicuous Achievement in Athletics upon completing his undergraduate studies in education. He later received a master of arts degree from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo.
While Raff’s days of participating in sports were behind him, only remarkable things laid ahead in what became a 41-year coaching career.
He spent his first year as track coach at Mid-Prairie High School in Wellman, Iowa, before spending the next four at Davenport’s Central High. In 1976, he found himself back at Iowa City High, where he would become a coaching legend and hall-of-famer.
Before retiring from coaching in 2003, Raff led the Little Hawks to 17 Mississippi Valley Conference titles, 11 MVC Super Meet titles, 119 major meet team championships and 10 state titles. He coached 56 Iowa state champions, 36 Drake Relay champions, one national meet champion and six national meet place-winners.
Raff was named Mississippi Valley Conference Coach of the Year 15 times and Iowa Track Coach of the Year eight times while being named as finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year award in 1999. He was also the National Federation of State High School Association Track Coach of the Year in 2000.
Raff was elected to the Iowa Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997, before he became the first track coach in Iowa history to win 10 state meets. Iowa City High’s track has since been named John Raffensperger Track in honor of its beloved teacher and coach.
Dennis Remmert
FULL BIO - For more than 25 years, Dennis Remmert was a fixture in both the teaching and coaching ranks at UNI.
He played freshman basketball in the 1956-57 season and started at defensive tackle for the Panthers from 1957-59. In both 1958 and 1959, he was named first-team all-conference and he was the North Central Conference's Most Valuable Lineman in 1959. To to off his collegiate career, Remmert was named a second-team All-American in 1959.
In 1960, he received an invitation to play in the College All-Star Game versus the Baltimore Colts, but he was not allowed to play since he had signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills.
After a brief career with the Bills, he returned to Iowa State Teachers College in 1961 to serve as a graduate assistant coach under Stan Sheriff. In 1963, he left ISTC to take on various coaching duties at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge.
In 1964, he returned to the Panthers for good, becoming scouting coordinator and freshman football coach. In the years since, he has held various coaching positions, including defensive coordinator from 1971 to 1986 and assistant head coach from 1986 to 1988.
During his UNI tenure, he has been instrumental in the coaching of several defensive all-Americans. He retired from coaching in 1988. He also was an assistant Panther wrestling coach from 1965-67. Remmert earned his master's degree in physical education in 1966.
Chad Rinehart
FULL BIO - A two-time all-American tackle, Chad Rinehart's presence on the offensive line played a key role in UNI's football success in the mid-2000s. The Boone, Iowa, native helped the Panthers to 37 wins, including three Gateway Football Conference championships, headlined by a run to the 2005 FCS National Championship Game and an undefeated 2007 regular season.
Following three First Team All-Gateway selections and First Team All-American recognition as a senior, Rinehart was drafted in the third round with the 96th overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. After a brief stint on the New York Jets practice squad in 2010, Rinehart signed with the Buffalo Bills, where he would make 17 starts in 27 games played. Rinehart concluded his professional career after the 2014 season after two seasons with the San Diego Chargers with 26 starts under his belt. Considered one of the best tackles in the history of the MVFC, Rinehart was named to the league's Silver Anniversary Team in 2009.
Rinehart now resides in Cedar Falls, and serves as the associate athletic director at Waverly-Shell Rock High School.
Bill Salmon
FULL BIO - Bill Salmon seems to always find his way home. A Cedar Falls native, he was a three-year starter for the Panthers at quarterback from 1973-75, blazing his way to the top of the record books, throwing for 4,234 regular season career yards and gaining 5,731 yards in total offense.
Known for his intuitiveness and speed, he led the Panthers through many great battles in his career. He starred at Cedar Falls High School where he also played basketball and baseball. He was an all-state pick in basketball and all-conference in baseball. As quarterback, he earned three letters and third team all-state honors. In 1972, he came to UNI, his father’s alma mater. Impressing then head coach Stan Sheriff, he made his way into the starting lineup in 1973.
He had a prolific career, setting many Panther offensive records. His honors include being named North Central Conference MVP, first team all-conference, and third team All-America in 1975. Salmon was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 10th round in 1976. Due to an off-season injury, he was unable to play.
Since his playing days, he has enjoyed a career as a coach. From 1983 through 1996, he coached the Panther running backs and wide receivers under Darrell Mudra and Terry Allen. After his 13-year stint at UNI, he followed Allen to the University of Kansas, where he was a offensive coordinator/running backs/tight ends coach. He then found his way back to UNI under head coach Mark Farley, and continued his coaching career in football.
Karter Schult
FULL BIO - Karter Schult was the 2021 Merlin Taylor Award winner for his work on and off the field. Schult is one of two Panthers ever to earn finalists’ honors for the William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the "Academic Heisman." He finished school with a 3.87 GPA and earned a degree in movement and exercise science. He also earned the MVFC President's Award and was a finalist for the ACS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship and was named an FCS Athletic Directors Academic All-Star. He was a two-time CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-America.
On top of his academic honors, he earned the Buck Buchanan Award as the FCS' top Defensive Player becoming the only Panther to earn the honor. He was a consensus All-American in 2016 and was a two-year First-Team All-MVFC honoree.
Following his playing career at UNI, Schult played professionaly for the Cleveland Brown, Minnesota Vikings, and the American Alliance of Football’s Salt Lake Stallions, where he led the league in sacks.
Randy Schultz
FULL BIO - Randy Schultz played football for the State College of Iowa from 1963-65 and in those years set the standard for future UNI backs. He set several school, as well as North Central Conference, records, including most touchdowns in a single game (four) and most points scored in a single game (24). During his sophomore year in 1963, he set the NCC single game rushing record of 253 yards. His junior year, when he set the conference single season rushing mark of 1,072 yards, was perhaps his best. He became the ninth SCI player to be named to the AP little All-American first team.
He repeated the honor his senior season. Other honors he received included being named the Most Outstanding Back in the 1964 Pecan Bowl and being named to the NCC All-Conference three straight times. He became the first player in the leagueÕs history to lead the conference in rushing three straight years and was named Most Outstanding Back in the NCC two straight times. During his SCI playing days, he rushed for more than 2,800 yards in just 28 games. He carried the ball 588 times and scored 22 touchdowns.
He participated in the 1965 Senior Bowl and became the first SCI football player to be drafted by the pros, going in the fifth round to the Cleveland Browns. He played for the Browns from 1966-67 and for the New Orleans Saints during the 1968 and '69 seasons. His athletic abilities were developed in Alden, Iowa, where he earned 15 letters in football, basketball, baseball and track.
Kenny Shedd
FULL BIO - Former UNI assistant football coach Wes Anderson once referred to former All-American Kenny Shedd as, “the most talented athlete at UNI. He is blessed with speed, athletic ability and competitive nature. When the game is close, he’s the guy who should have the ball in his hands.”
During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s UNI football was atop the conference and national standings, much like it is today. But instead of players such as Eric Sanders, Johnny Gray and Corey Lewis, the Panthers had names like Kurt Warner, Bryce Paup and Kenny Shedd. Along with Warner and Paup, Shedd made his mark at UNI along with a career in the NFL.
Shedd, a native of Davenport, Iowa, began his stellar career on the gridiron at Davenport West High School, and soon found himself as a Panther in the confines of the UNI-Dome in the fall of 1989.
Shedd opened his career with the Panthers by starting all 11 games as a true freshman, catching five passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. But Shedd was just getting warmed up, and over the course of the next three years he would provide a crucial role to the Panthers’ success.
Shedd earned All-America honors in 1990, 1991 and 1992 as a receiver and kick/punt returner. Besides national accolades, Shedd earned first-team all-conference honors in ’90, ’91 and ’92. Shedd was also named UNI team MVP in ’91 and ’92. Over the course of the four years Shedd donned the Purple and Gold, UNI tallied a record of 39-11, including two conference titles, and one runner-up finish. The Panthers earned a spot in the playoffs in each of those years, advancing as far as the semifinals in 1992.
Not only was Shedd a standout on the gridiron, but also on the track scene. Shedd was a two-sport athlete for the Panthers throughout his four-year career, spending his spring season with the UNI track and field team. Shedd was a conference champion in the 400 meters. Along with a conference crown, Shedd still holds the fourth-fastest time in 200 meters and the Sprint Medley and Distance Medley Relays at UNI.
Shedd’s career in athletics didn’t end with the Panthers however. In the spring of 1993, Shedd was drafted in the fifth round as the 129th pick to the New York Jets. Shedd spent seven years playing professional football, spending time with the Jets, Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins.
Stan Sheriff
FULL BIO - Stan Sheriff saw the institution change in scope from the Iowa State Teachers College, to the State College of Iowa and to the University of Northern Iowa.
Bruce Stanley Sheriff first arrived on campus in 1958 as first assistant football coach and was named head coach two years later. In his 23-year tenure, he won four North Central Conference and two Mid-Continent Conference titles. His teams also played in three postseason games, winning the Pecan Bowl in 1964. He produced 98 all-conference and eight first team Little All-America players. Sheriff assumed the additional role of athletic director in 1970, directing a very potent 22-sport program at the Division II level. He was instrumental in the move to Division I-AA in football and Division I in all other sports. He also was deeply involved in the development of three new conferences - the Mid-Continent and Association of Mid-Continent Universities for men and the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference for women. He also is known for his untiring effort in getting the UNI-Dome constructed. After leaving UNI, he became director of athletics at the University of Hawaii.
Sheriff's knowledge of football and athletics did not stop at the university level. He served a nine-year term on the NCAA Football Rules Committee and has served on the American Football Association Committees involving conventions and public relations; as well as the prestigious NCAA Television Committee which negotiated a multi-million dollar contract with ABC Television. Sheriff grew up in Hawaii and California and was a collegiate star at Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo where he was a Little All-American. He played professional ball for three seasons.
Mike Smith
FULL BIO - Little did Mike Smith know when he stepped onto the University of Northern Iowa campus in 1983 that he'd be part of a team that would usher in a new era of Panther football, but that's exactly what happened.
After leading Wakulla County High School to a pair of state championships in three years as quarterback of the Crawfordville, Fla., team, the 5-foot-10 Smith accepted a scholarship offer from UNI coach Darrell Mudra to head north and join the Panthers. Mudra, who was coach at Florida State from 1974 to 1975, spotted Smith as a seventh-grader playing pee wee football in the Tallahassee area and never forgot about him, offering him a chance to become the Panthers' signal caller. It was a move that would help put UNI on the Division I-AA football map.
After a redshirt season, Smith played the backup role in 1984 before getting the starting nod from Mudra in 1985, a year that would see both Smith and the Panthers blossom. Smith went on to earn Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors after throwing for 2,894 yards and 18 touchdowns and leading the Panthers an 11-2 record, their first Gateway title and the schoolÕs first I-AA playoff win. The latter came in a 17-14 victory over Eastern Washington in the UNI-Dome and propelled the Panthers to the national semifinals. Smith's numbers improved in 1986, when he threw for 3,125 yards and 27 touchdowns, both of which were school records. He was named Gateway player of the week four times that season and, by leading the nation in passing efficiency, earned honorable mention all-America status for the second of three consecutive years.
After being named second team all-Gateway in his first two years as a starter, Smith picked up first team all-conference honors in 1987, a season in which he racked up another 2,859 yards and threw for 23 scores. Smith also led the Panthers to another Gateway championship and back to the I-AA playoffs, where the Panthers defeated Arkansas State before falling in overtime, 44-41, to Northeast Louisiana in a semifinal game that saw Smith throw for 418 yards and an NCAA playoff record six touchdowns.
Smith, who posted a 28-9-1 record and threw for 9,067 yards and 68 TDs in his career, as of his induction still owned nearly every Panther postseason passing record. When he graduated, he held UNI records for career pass attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and total offense at UNI, marks he held until they were eclipsed by Ryan Helming in 2000. At one time, he also owned the I-AA season record for yards per attempt, throwing for 10.3 yards per pass in 1986.
Upon graduation, Smith joined the Panthers' coaching staff and served as quarterbacks coach from 1989 to 1994 under head coach Terry Allen, helping guide the Panthers to five straight Gateway titles and playoff appearances. Smith also played two seasons of baseball and received a bachelor's degree in communications at UNI.
Clyde Starbeck
FULL BIO - C. L. "Buck" Starbeck spent 34 years in the North Central Conference football picture. From 1923-27, he was an all-league center at South Dakota State. He coached the line at North Dakota from 1928 until he came to Iowa State Teachers College in 1936. During that time, he figured in 16 conference championships either as a player or coach. In 1939, a string of four victories unraveled into 31 conference games without a defeat. ISTC won seven titles and from 1940-49, and no other league member gained top position, the first time in national history that a school so completely dominated a league over such an extended period of time. In 20 seasons, his overall record was 95-58-10.
Frederick Steinkamp
FULL BIO - Frederick Eugene "Curly" Steinkamp was a major contributor to the success of the Iowa State Teachers College football teams, also known as the "Mighty Midgets", in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Steinkamp, a Hawarden, Iowa, native, played for the late Buck Starbeck. In 1942, the North Central Conference awarded him all-league honors for his outstanding season. He was the conference's leading scorer, and set a league record by scoring 60 points in four games. He finished the season by garnering honorable mention Little All-American honors. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1942 before serving in World War II.
When Steinkamp returned, he became physical education teacher and coach at Charles City. He earned a master's degree in guidance from then State College of Iowa, and became head guidance counselor at Charles City. After serving 22 years in that school district, he became guidance counselor at Waterloo West High School. He finished his 36-year administrative career in Wheaton, Ill.
He has been inducted into the Iowa and Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Halls of Fame.
Kent Stephenson
FULL BIO - Kent Stephenson, a native of Anita, Iowa, has had tremendous success at every level in the sport of football. He played for the Panthers from 1961-65, was named honorable mention all-conference offensive and defensive lineman in 1963 and 1964 and was a co-captain of the 1964 Pecan Bowl team.
He served as President of the Letterman's Club in 1964. He graduated from UNI with a degree in History and Physical Education in 1965 and earned his master's in education from Wayne State (Neb.) in 1966. His coaching career began in 1965 as an assistant at Wayne State, where he remained until 1968. He then moved on to North Dakota from 1969-71, to Southern Methodist from 1972-73, to Iowa from 1974-76, Oklahoma State from 1977-78 and to Kansas from 1979-82.
He entered the professional ranks, serving as offensive line coach for the USFL's Michigan Panthers 1983-84, which won the USFL title. From 1985-91, he was an assistant with the Seattle Seahawks, and he spent his last years coaching from 1991-2000 as the offensive line coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 1997 team led the NFL in rushing and gave up the fewest number of sacks. In all, he coached in nine NFL playoffs, three American Conference Championships, and one Super Bowl. He has been inducted into the Wayne State Hall of Fame.
Ron Sturch
FULL BIO - Ron Sturch did not just compete in two sports during his time at what was then Iowa State Teachers College, he dominated.
A Waterloo, Iowa, native and graduate of West High School, Sturch came to the Iowa State Teachers College campus in 1954 after a decorated prep career that included Drake Relays and state championships in the pole vault.
After sitting out during his freshman year, Sturch made an instant impact for the Panthers' track team in 1956. Competing in the high jump, pole vault, broad jump and high and low hurdles, Sturch scored 106-1/2 points for the Panthers and became the first sophomore in school history to lead the team in scoring. He repeated the feat as a junior in 1957, tallying a record 170 points as the Panthers went undefeated in meets for the fourth straight year. The team's second-highest point total was 62. Sturch then shattered his own record by ringing up 226 points in his senior campaign in 1958, as the Panthers again went unbeaten. During that year's Teachers Relays, Sturch won six events to cap a season in which he competed in seven events in each of 15 meets.
Sturch claimed the All-Round title in each of his three years, an honor given to the competitor who claimed the team's intrasquad meet. He earned all-North Central Conference honors as a sophomore and a senior, with the league meet being cancelled due to snow his junior year. In 1958, track coach Art Dickinson, who at the time had coached the Panther track teams for 33 years, called Sturch "the most outstanding all-around performer since I've been at Iowa Teachers."
For all his accomplishments on the cinder track, Sturch also made a name for himself on the gridiron at ITSC, lettering three times for coach Clyde Starbeck's Panthers. For three seasons beginning in 1955, Sturch rotated in at the halfback and end positions for Starbeck and was the team's punter. During his senior season Sturch did it all, rushing 11 times for 42 yards, catching a 46-yard touchdown pass, snagging a 13-yard interception, returning kicks and punting 20 times for 773 yards - a 38.6-yard per punt average.
After graduating from ISTC in 1958 with a bachelor's degree, Sturch entered the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany, where he participated in football and track for Army teams. In 1959, he competed in the Pan-American Track and Field Trials as a decathlete before his Army service concluded shortly thereafter. Sturch then began teaching in Oelwein and, in 1963, moved back to his hometown of Waterloo, where he taught for 32 years.
He is a member of the West High School Athletic Hall of Fame and also the Iowa Track Coaches Hall of Fame. For his work as an official in football and basketball at both the high school and college level, Sturch also was inducted into the Iowa Conference Hall of Fame and the State of Iowa Officials Hall of Fame, and he was awarded as an outstanding official by the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Association.
1960 Football Team
FULL BIO - In 1960, the Panther football team completed a perfect regular season with a 9-0 record and an appearance in the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo.
The captains for the Iowa State Teachers College in 1960 were guard George Asleson, halfback Warren Hansen, quarterback Jerry Morgan and center Charlie Schulte. The Panthers were under the direction of first-year head coach Stan Sheriff.
Following the season, George Asleson earned first-team Associated Press Little All-America honors. Jerry Morgan tallied third-team status.
1964 Football Team
FULL BIO - Under the direction of head coach Stan Sheriff, the 1964 State College of Iowa football team posted a 9-2 record and won the only bowl game in school history.
The Panthers dominated the trenches all season long, averaging 267.7 rushing yards per game and allowing only 103.7 rushing yards per game to lead the North Central Conference in both categories. SCI outscored its conference opponents 150-48 on its way to a 5-1 record in the league and a tie for the conference championship.
On the strength of their overall 8-2 regular season record, the Panthers were invited to the 1964 Pecan Bowl in Abilene, Texas, where they defeated Lamar Tech 19-17. The Pecan Bowl also served as the NCAA Midwest College Division Championship, one of only four bowl games in the College Division for the 1964 season.
Fullback Randy Schultz was the star of the Panthers' rushing attack, gaining 1232 yards in 11 games, including 160 yards in the Pecan Bowl on 38 carries. Schultz was named a first-team All-American and guard Phil Minnick received honorable mention All-American honors.
2005 Football Team
FULL BIO - The 2005 UNI football team advanced further than any team in school history. The Panthers went 3-1 in non-conference with the only loss coming against a ranked Iowa team. UNI started the Gateway schedule 2-2 before facing three ranked teams to close Gateway play.
The Panthers topped 11th-ranked Youngstown State 21-7, beat No. 6 Western Kentucky 23-20 in double overtime and No. 4 Southern Illinois 25-24 in the UNI-Dome. After closing out the regular season with a non-conference game against Northern Arizona, the Panthers opened the FCS playoffs against Eastern Washington. The Panther edged the Eagles 41-38 to advance to play No. 1 seeded New Hampshire. UNI upset the top-ranked Wildcats 24-21 in the quarterfinals. The Panthers faced Texas State on the road and again pulled the upset, this time 40-37 in overtime to advance to the championship game.
The Panthers fell to Appalachian State in a hard-fought title game 21-16 in Chattanooga, but the team was cemented as one of UNI's best. Despite the deepest run in school history, the Panthers did not have a single first-team All-American. Quarterback Eric Sanders earned second-team honors from CollegeSportsReport.com, while linebacker Darin Heideman earned second-team honors and defensive end Darin Heideman picked up third-team honors from the Associated Press. Only the Heideman’s and Chad Rinehart earned first-team Gateway Conference honors.
Mike Timmermans
FULL BIO - As head coach, Stan Sheriff spent 23 seasons working to build a football tradition at the University of Northern Iowa. In Mike Timmermans, Sheriff found not only one of the greatest offensive lineman to don the Purple and Gold, but a solid foundation on which to construct the Panthers’ championship culture.
Everything came together for the George, Iowa, native and his Panther teammates in Timmermans’ senior season of 1975, as he helped the Panthers provide Sheriff with one of the best years of his run as UNI’s head coach. The team went 9-3 overall, winning its final six regular-season games before falling to Western Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. That game, the last to be played at O.R. Latham Stadium, has since been dubbed the “Mud Bowl” and saw the Panthers fall, 14-12, in a hard-fought contest that would also be Timmermans’ final game in a UNI uniform.
Although scoring 300 points in a season is now routine for the Panthers, the 1975 squad was the first in school history to surpass the 300-point barrier, and it did so largely by running the football behind the impressive offensive line Timmermans anchored. UNI racked up a then-record 2,366 rushing yards in 12 games that season, running the ball an average of 51 times per game and scoring 25 rushing touchdowns -- still the sixth-highest total in school history. The offensive line also paved the way for all-conference seasons by quarterback Bill Salmon and wide receiver Dave Schooley.
Timmermans’ contributions to UNI’s powerful offense did not go unnoticed, as he also earned All-North Central Conference honors to go along with an honorable mention nod to the NCC All-Academic team. The Associated Press named him first-team All-America and the Green Bay Packers were impressed enough to select Timmermans in the 1976 NFL Draft.
Timmermans remained close to football following his graduation from UNI with a bachelor’s degree in history, spending two years as a teacher and coach in Ottumwa, Iowa, and then two years in Spencer, Iowa, before settling in Vinton, Iowa, in 1980. He has remained in Vinton ever since, serving as Vinton-Shellsburg High School’s head football coach for 10 years before taking a position as high school athletics director and associate principal.
Lee Wachenheim
FULL BIO - It is a wonderful gift of a collegiate athlete to give back to the younger generation that follows. Lee Wachenheim is one of these special people. He attended Iowa State Teacher's College from 1947 to 1951, where he was a member of the wrestling and football teams.
He made his presence known from day one on the football team. In 1947, he was named honorable mention all-North Central Conference for his outstanding play at tackle. He was an all-conference selection from 1948-51. He also was honorable mention Little All-America his senior year. Perhaps his most impressive statistic was that during his last two seasons, he played all but 2:09 of all of the games on both offense and defense.
Wachenheim also was a letterwinner on the wrestling team from 1949-1951. In 1950, under Coach Dave McCuskey, ISTC finished first in the nation. His other achievements include being named to Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges in 1950-51, to the 1950-51 House Council, an officer in the LettermanÕs Club from 1948-51, he was on the Interfraternity Council, and has been a Phi Delta Kappa Life Member since 1952.
Wachenheim graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education. He then went on to Corning, Iowa, where he was the physical education and industrial arts teacher from 1951-54, was well as an assistant football and basketball coach. He established that school's wrestling program in 1952, and he was the head coach until 1954. He then went to Colorado State College of Education in Greeley, Colo., where he received his Master of Arts degree in educational administration.
From 1954-55, he went to Guttenburg High School in Guttenburg, Iowa, where he was the physical education and health teacher. He went on to establish that school's football program, serving as head football and basketball coach. Wachenheim then moved to York Community High School in Elmhurst, Ill., in 1955, as a physical education and mechanical drawing teacher until 1988. He also was a driver's education teacher and Director of Driver's Education. He was named Who's Who in American Education in 1955-56. During his tenure there, Wachenheim was an assistant football and wrestling coach, head wrestling coach, and freshman/sophomore baseball coach.
Dedric Ward
FULL BIO - Dedric Ward was an All-American wide receiver on the UNI football team from 1993-96.
In his time as a Panther, Ward rewrote the UNI and Gateway Football Conference record books like no receiver ever had before. Over four seasons, he amassed 4,539 receiving yards and made 50 career touchdown receptions – both records that still top the all-time lists at UNI and in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Ward’s consistency showed with three consecutive seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards, leading the Gateway Conference each year from 1994-96. At one point, he went 27 consecutive games with a reception, and he ended his career as UNI’s all-time leader in receptions with 208.
In 1995 – the first of two All-American seasons – he led the nation with 116.4 receiving yards per game. Ward ended his UNI career with 50 touchdowns – the second-most in school history – and 304 career points, the school record for a non-kicker.
At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Ward ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in all-time receiving yardage behind only Jerry Rice.
Ward went on to play eight seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys, totaling 167 receptions and 2,307 yards.
Wendell Williams
FULL BIO - A native of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Wendell Williams is been considered one of the best defensive guards in Northern Iowa history.
Williams played football for the Panthers from 1958-61 and wrestled from 1960-62. He graduated in 1963 with a degree in Physical Education and later received his Masters and his Administration Certification in 1981.
Football was his primary sport as a Panther. He earned his first varsity letter as a sophomore, playing guard and wearing No. 60. In 1960, he helped UNI to nine straight victories and the North Central Conference Championship while being named first team all-conference and to other all-league teams. In 1961, as the school changed its name from Iowa State Teachers College to State College of Iowa, Williams was named All-American. As a team co-captain, he was named first team guard on the Little All-America Team by the Associated Press, as well as repeating his All-North Central Conference selection.
Williams went on to coach high school football for a number of area schools. He was named 1A District Coach of the Year in 1964 after his Gladbrook High School team won the conference championship. He then moved to Cedar Falls High School as a defensive coach from 1967-73, during which the school compiled a 41-21 record. After moving to Charles City, he became the head football coach from 1974-80 and was also an assistant wrestling coach.
Mike Woodley
FULL BIO - A four-year letter winner in football at UNI, Mike Woodley's list of accomplishments is outstanding to say the least.
Woodley graduated from UNI in 1974 with a degree in physical education. Starting at free safety for most of his career, he was a three-time first team all-conference player (1971-73), and a second team all-American in 1973. He was voted captain of the Panthers' football squad both his junior and senior seasons. He led the team in interceptions all four years. At the time of his induction, he held UNIÕs record for career interceptions with 20. Woodley also was a staple on the special teams, leading the team in kick returns in 1972 and 1973 as well as punt returns in 1971, 1972 and 1973.
Woodley was a dominating three-sport athlete coming out of high school, and one heck of a jumper. At Waterloo (Iowa) East, he once jumped just under 6-2, a head above his height of 5-9. He excelled at football at UNI, but he didn't give up any other sports. He was a member of the Panther basketball team in the 1972-73 season. He played AAU basketball, as well, in his off-season, earning MVP honors at one tournament. He played semi-pro baseball for 12 years starting in 1970. There also was a short stint in a semi-pro football league in 1974-1975.
In 1975, Woodley was accepted as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa, coaching with a number of Division I coaches, including Iowa State's Dan McCarney. In 1976, he got his first taste as a head coach when he accepted a position as the head football and baseball coach in Alamagordo, N.M. He returned home after three years to coach at Waterloo East, both baseball and football from 1977-1979. One of his most prolific underlings was Reggie Roby, a former all-American at Iowa and former all-pro for the Miami Dolphins.
Woodley took over as head football coach at Osage (Iowa) High School in 1979. In his five years at the helm, he recorded only four losses against 33 wins. In 1980, he received Teacher and Coach of the Year honors. In the 1983, he moved to Fort Dodge (Iowa) High School where he coached seven years. In 1989, he received a call from St. Ambrose College, where he spent two years as an offensive coordinator before becoming head coach in 1991. Woodley spent three years at St. Ambrose, bringing back a winning tradition and giving the Fighting Bees their first winning season in six years. In 1994, he decided to return to the high school roots, and took over the leading role at West Des Moines (Iowa) Valley High School. In his only year at Valley, he won the conference championship and ended with a 7-2 record. After the season, he got a call from his old friend McCarney who asked him to be an assistant at Iowa State. Woodley spent nine years as the Cyclone's assistant, three years as a linebackers coach, a tight end coach four years and his last year as an administrative assistant.
After so many years as an assistant, Woodley was itching to become a head coach again, and when a Class 5A Texas high school called, he couldn't resist. In 2003, he was inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Hall of Fame.
Steve Wright
FULL BIO - The young man who was noted in the 1978, 1979 and 1980 University of Northern Iowa football media guides as the "possibly the strongest player on the squad" went on to prove that strength against some of the biggest and best in the nation.
Steve Wright played 13 years in the National Football League, spending his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys (1981-82), the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (1983-85) and the Los Angeles Raiders (1987-94).
While at UNI, the health major was a four-year letter winner as an offensive lineman his sophomore and junior years and a tight end his freshman and senior seasons. A graduate of Wayzata (Minn.) High School, he played four years of football, two of basketball and three years of track and field. He was the school record holder and all-American in both the shot put and discus as a senior. He also lettered in hockey as a defenseman. He went on to earn all-league honors as a senior blocker and pass catcher at UNI, and was tabbed as "an imposing 6-5 figure in a football uniform" in the 1979 media guide. He received his bachelor's degree in 1981.
In his NFL career, Wright was just one of three free agents out of 110 in the league, making the 1981 Dallas Cowboys team. He played in all 25 regular-season games with the Cowboys in 1981 and in the strike-shortened 1982 season, and in the 1981 and 1982 NFC title games. He was traded to Baltimore in the pre-season 1983, and played in all of the Colts' league games that year. He was active with the Colts organization until 1985, and played with the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League in the spring of 1985. He also played in three championship games and received the Ed Block Courage Award in 1990. One of the highlights of Wright's professional football career occurred during his rookie season of 1981. As a right guard for the Dallas Cowboys against his hometown team, the Minnesota Vikings, Wright sprang running back Tony Dorsett loose for a 99-1/2 yard run (the longest run in the history of the National Football League).