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Roger Craig's Recruitment in 1978-1979

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Ripcord

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a question for all my fellow old-timers out there: Did we come anywhere close to getting this guy? I sort of think not. He was probably the best back in the state that year, coming of out Davenport Central, class of 1979, and went on to do well at Nebraska (though I think they used him mostly as a blocker for their Heisman winner). Reggie Roby was also in that recruit class, and we did get Roby.

He would have undoubtedly been a starter and a star on that 1981 Rose Bowl team, and there is no telling how much better we would have been with him. He would have redshirted behind Dennis Mosley in 1979 and possibly played thru 1983.

The story I heard is that his older brother had gone to Nebraska, and so he was kind of a legacy recruit. Also, Nebraskaa was an elite national power at the time, and Hayden Fry had just been hired and was trying to sell recruits on a dream, which no one had any idea if it would become a reality or not.

So, to my original question, did we come anywhere close to getting Roger Craig?

PS: my apologies to the younger generations out there who do not remember him.
 
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BunchofAholes

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Ripcord said:
a question for all my fellow old-timers out there: Did we come anywhere close to getting this guy? I sort of think not. He was probably the best back in the state that year, coming of out Davenport Central, class of 1979, and went on to do well at Nebraska (though I think they used him mostly as a blocker for their Heisman winner). Reggie Roby was also in that recruit class, and we did get Roby.

He would have undoubtedly been a starter and a star on that 1981 Rose Bowl team, and there is no telling how much better we would have been with him. He would have redshirted behind Dennis Mosley in 1979 and possibly played thru 1983.

The story I heard is that his older brother had gone to Nebraska, and so he was kind of a legacy recruit. Also, Nebraskaa was an elite national power at the time, and Hayden Fry had just been hired and was trying to sell recruits on a dream, which no one had any idea if it would become a reality or not.

So, to my original question, did we come anywhere close to getting Roger Craig?

PS: my apologies to the younger generations out there who do not remember him.
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Craig's last season was 1982. Rozier won the Heisman the following year.
 
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Hawkangler

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Davenport Central was loaded back in the day. Curtis was Roger's older brother (4 years). He went to Nebraska first. Then Rodger and Jamie Williams followed 4 years later. Hawks got the Jensen kid, can't remember his first name. When Davenport opened West the pool diluted. Then they opened North.
 
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rchawk

rchawk

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Hawkangler said:
Davenport Central was loaded back in the day. Curtis was Roger's older brother (4 years). He went to Nebraska first. Then Rodger and Jamie Williams followed 4 years later. Hawks got the Jensen kid, can't remember his first name. When Davenport opened West the pool diluted. Then they opened North.
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The Iowa high school class of '79 was pretty loaded with football talent, or at least that was my impression. Iowa didn't have much of a shot at Craig but Iowa and ISU both had good instate classes.
 
FanInBlack

FanInBlack

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they had no shot Craig. He was going to Nebraska regardless of his brother. He also had a former teammate on the team.

But the main reason was he felt that was the school to go to as a top RB. He was rated as the 2nd best RB in the class behind Dickerson and was a top 10 overall recruit.
 
R

Ripcord

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ClarindaA’s said:
I heard from an old high school teammate of his that Craig wanted to transfer to Iowa after his freshman year, Hayden told him to stay
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many thanks to all who replied. so, Craig was the 2nd best running back NATIONALLY? in 1979? I did not know that. I knew he was good, but didn't realize that good.

I also never heard the story that he wanted to come to Iowa after his first year, and it's very hard to believe Hayden would have told him no. but, who really knows? I am just saying, i guess, that I have never gotten over the fact that we lost out on one hell of an in-state football player, and we would almost certainly have been even better in the early Fry years with him.
 
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rchawk

rchawk

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ClarindaA’s said:
I heard from an old high school teammate of his that Craig wanted to transfer to Iowa after his freshman year, Hayden told him to stay
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I heard that Craig wanted to transfer to UI after his freshman year, maybe sophomore. Big brother Curtis and others talked him into staying at UN. I have never read or heard anything about Hayden advising him to stay put.

Roger was getting good offers regionally but his recruiting blew up when he ran wild in the state playoffs.
 
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Madman_1

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Hawkangler said:
Davenport Central was loaded back in the day. Curtis was Roger's older brother (4 years). He went to Nebraska first. Then Rodger and Jamie Williams followed 4 years later. Hawks got the Jensen kid, can't remember his first name. When Davenport opened West the pool diluted. Then they opened North.
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Davenport West opened in, I believe, 1960.

They won class 4A state championships in 1974 and 1977.
 
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BunchofAholes

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MAXIMUSHAWKEYE said:
There have been other top in state talent that chose to leave. Can't remember his name,but there was a WR from Fairfield that chose Notre Dame. Not much of a career though.
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I think you missed my point. It was the idea that Hayden encouraged Craig to fulfill his commitment and stay at Nebraska rather than jump at the opportunity to steal him.
 
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HMB Trumpet

HMB Trumpet

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rchawk said:
I heard that Craig wanted to transfer to UI after his freshman year, maybe sophomore. Big brother Curtis and others talked him into staying at UN. I have never read or heard anything about Hayden advising him to stay put.

Roger was getting good offers regionally but his recruiting blew up when he ran wild in the state playoffs.
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I was a kid at the time, but IIRC, during his HS recruitment Roger strongly considered Hayden's sales pitch, but Curtis advised him to go to Nebraska. Hayden was selling a vision whereas Nebraska was established. It was the safer bet. (Plus, Curtis had just finished playing for Nebby.)
 
rchawk

rchawk

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MAXIMUSHAWKEYE said:
There have been other top in state talent that chose to leave. Can't remember his name,but there was a WR from Fairfield that chose Notre Dame. Not much of a career though.
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I think that was Milt Jackson, All-State in about 1982.
 
rchawk

rchawk

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Ripcord said:
He would have undoubtedly been a starter and a star on that 1981 Rose Bowl team, and there is no telling how much better we would have been with him.
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Don't be disrespecting Eddie Phillips and Phil Blatcher.
 
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Ripcord

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rchawk said:
Don't be disrespecting Eddie Phillips and Phil Blatcher.
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yes, I know, we had some good backs in the early '80s. Mosley, Phillips, Owen Gill, etc. It is just that Roger Craig was on a different level than the rest of them, and I have never been able to get over the fact that we did not get him. Heck, we might have one ALL of our games in the 1981 Rose Bowl season if we had gotten Roger Craig.
 
rchawk

rchawk

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Ripcord said:
yes, I know, we had some good backs in the early '80s. Mosley, Phillips, Owen Gill, etc. It is just that Roger Craig was on a different level than the rest of them, and I have never been able to get over the fact that we did not get him. Heck, we might have one ALL of our games in the 1981 Rose Bowl season if we had gotten Roger Craig.
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I forgot to add the smiley face to my post. I agree with you that with Craig the Hawks probably don't lose to the Illini, Gophers and clowns. But Washington beat us 28-0 in the Rose Bowl, I'm not sure one player would have turned that into a victory.
 
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Hawkangler

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rchawk said:
I forgot to add the smiley face to my post. I agree with you that with Craig the Hawks probably don't lose to the Illini, Gophers and clowns. But Washington beat us 28-0 in the Rose Bowl, I'm not sure one player would have turned that into a victory.
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Don't remind me of that game. My brother and I had a long, snowy drive back. Had a lot of fun in California though.
 
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Kceasthawk@77

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Hawkangler said:
Davenport Central was loaded back in the day. Curtis was Roger's older brother (4 years). He went to Nebraska first. Then Rodger and Jamie Williams followed 4 years later. Hawks got the Jensen kid, can't remember his first name. When Davenport opened West the pool diluted. Then they opened North.
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Jim Jensen played at Iowa. He was a central grad. West opened late 50's to 60 I believe. North high school later. I went to Wood Jr high the year they opened in 73-74 I think. Years later they made Wallace Wood Jr, into North High school. Played at west a couple of years against Roger. He was was crazy good. They and West were 2 of the top 4 teams in the state. West played in the title games in 74 and 77
 
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Kceasthawk@77

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Madman_1 said:
Davenport West opened in, I believe, 1960.

They won class 4A state championships in 1974 and 77
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I believe West LOST the state title to Dowling in 75 (with Terry Rubley at QB). and won the title in 77. 75 was my soph year and there were NO soph on the varsity with West size we'd have 200-300 kids come out for football. West won the title in 77. I graduated in the spring of 77. It was the next team that won the titlewith Todd Rubley the starting QB.
 
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TruthSerium

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Ripcord said:
many thanks to all who replied. so, Craig was the 2nd best running back NATIONALLY? in 1979? I did not know that. I knew he was good, but didn't realize that good.

I also never heard the story that he wanted to come to Iowa after his first year, and it's very hard to believe Hayden would have told him no. but, who really knows? I am just saying, i guess, that I have never gotten over the fact that we lost out on one hell of an in-state football player, and we would almost certainly have been even better in the early Fry years with him.
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Roger's older brother was actually a better HS running back than Roger was. The problem was he was 5-8.
 
T

TruthSerium

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Hawkangler said:
Davenport Central was loaded back in the day. Curtis was Roger's older brother (4 years). He went to Nebraska first. Then Rodger and Jamie Williams followed 4 years later. Hawks got the Jensen kid, can't remember his first name. When Davenport opened West the pool diluted. Then they opened North.
Click to expand...
West was loaded as well. You had all the Rubely brothers who played QB, and Kenny Shedd.

Side note, TJ Rubely married Sylester Stallone's younger sister. Their son plays QB too and Iowa looked at him.
 
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Bowls9

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TruthSerium said:
West was loaded as well. You had all the Rubely brothers who played QB, and Kenny Shedd.

Side note, TJ Rubely married Sylester Stallone's younger sister. Their son plays QB too and Iowa looked at him.
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I believe Curtis was a wrestler as well. I remember a picture of him lifting weights on the cover of an Iowa high school magazine....
 
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TruthSerium

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Bowls9 said:
I believe Curtis was a wrestler as well. I remember a picture of him lifting weights on the cover of an Iowa high school magazine....
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Yep, he was a 3-time state qualifier in wrestler and was runner up at state his junior year. He also was on the track team at Central that won two state titles.
 
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TruthSerium

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Hawkangler said:
Davenport Central was loaded back in the day. Curtis was Roger's older brother (4 years). He went to Nebraska first. Then Rodger and Jamie Williams followed 4 years later. Hawks got the Jensen kid, can't remember his first name. When Davenport opened West the pool diluted. Then they opened North.
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Curtis ran for 1,785 yards and 33 touchdowns his senior season. He also had 246 yards and five touchdowns in the title game. Curtis was a beast.
 
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Anon1751457816

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Nikohawk13 said:
This’ a true story. Roger was telling this story at an autograph signing at Buysee Dodge in Davenport years ago.
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Probably a dumb question, but was Hayden's angle don't bother since you didn't choose us the first time or did he genuinely believe Neb was in Roger's best interest?
 
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WeBeHerkin

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rchawk said:
I forgot to add the smiley face to my post. I agree with you that with Craig the Hawks probably don't lose to the Illini, Gophers and clowns. But Washington beat us 28-0 in the Rose Bowl, I'm not sure one player would have turned that into a victory.
Click to expand...
We couldn't have McCafrey'd them like happened to us against Stanford?
 
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