Forever a Hawkeye great. Wish we had him for more than a year. Thanks for the memories Mark!
Mark Gronowski
- Thread starter BringBackBradBanks
- Start date
He's a great human being, too.
He has a special needs older brother; Mark loves him to death.
He's already got his engineering degrees.
He's got a bright future ahead of him.
He does not make it to the level of Hawkeye greats (under KF): Banks, Tate, Stanzi, Beathard.
I’d have no problem letting him into the club with: Stanley, Rudock, Chandler level.
I’d have no problem letting him into the club with: Stanley, Rudock, Chandler level.
He is up there with Brad Banks, Drew Tate, Stanzi, and CJ!
Mark had to carry this team more than any of those guys.
More than Tate?
You really believe Gronowski belongs in the category of Banks, Tate, Stanzi, and Beathard? If so, say no more because I’m not even discussing that with anyone.
Absolutely great post! He is awesome and wish he had 4 more years left! He’s a great one! Will be sorely missed
I really admire this young man as a leader and tough player/competitor
That’s a good point on Tate in 2004. He willed that team with no running back to a big ten title that year. Nobody had more talent around him than Brad in 2002. Probably have Mark a tad below those two but in the same category as CJ and Stanzi.
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No love for Zeron Flemister?
I don't believe that Stanza and Beathard belong in the category of Banks and Tate
.I don't believe that Stanza and Beathard belong in the category of Banks and Tate
Stanzi is the only one of them to win a BCS level bowl game. Beathard definitely belongs there as well as he is the Anti-KF type QB.
Gronkowski made this season fun. First time in many years where we had a good chance to win every game on the schedule. Normally an 8-4 year is forgettable. Not this year.
Good call. For some reason I was thinking he started out at FB with Iowa and moved to TE in the NFL. Maybe I’m thinking of someone else from the early KF’s years.
He had a very good day today, and props to him for that, but this is just crazy talk, and a reminder of how bad QB play and the passing game have been at Iowa for the last several years.
He is really not in the great convo with Long, Stanzi, Banks, Tate, and Beathard. But I liked him, and will definitely miss him. First QB in 6 years that I actually enjoyed watching (I guess this was Sullivan tbf, but he only played half a season). He was solid for the most part. Nate Stanley level.
I’m looking forward to Hecklinski, he’s got some wheels. Hopefully he’s accurate too.
I’m looking forward to Hecklinski, he’s got some wheels. Hopefully he’s accurate too.
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Hayden sure loved his players from Waxahachie, I think mainly because it's just so fun to say.
Exactly why he should be commended. The only receiver really to do anything was hurt most of the year. Mark carried us to game-winning type drives against Rutgers, Penn State, Oregon, Michigan State, with three wins. Has a quarterback ever done that in a career in the Kirk Ferentz era, let alone a season? Maybe Stanzi.
I think his legacy was kind of hanging in the balance going into today. This was a very nice performance and win for him. Not sure quite where I'd rank him but will generally remember him positively. I think ya gotta say he was usually pretty clutch in the late game situations. Wish him the best.
Good point. 2004 Tate carried that entire team because we had no running game at all.
Pretty easily the 5th best Qb of the 21st Century and the best Qb since Beathard
So, yes. Iowa has had some very good QB's who were very good passers, prior to the last 7-8 years. There were many occasions where they actually won games. Mark has thrown the ball better of late, but much of Iowa's passing game woes have centered around him either failing to locate receivers on time or deliver the ball accurately. In some of those games where Mark led late scores, it wasn't enough because the offense he was leading scored very few points. He's definitely led some very clutch drives and used his legs well in Lester's offense., but his overall body of work says he has one of the worst passer ratings and led one if the worst passing offenses in the Big Ten. To me that doesn't scream greatest ever.
He was so damn good and then he exploded his hamstring. He had a very important run against Michigan in 1985.
He’s second to last in passing yards in D1. Thanks, Kirk.
Chandler led the Hawks to 10 wins and a top 10 finish. This Iowa team still hasn’t beat a ranked opponent. Stanley would have an argument as well just by his one game vs OSU, but also his cumulative career. Won 10 games and never lost a bowl game I believe.
It can be hard to rank different QBs from different teams, different eras. Gronowski makes it a little harder as well because we’re only seeing one year, his senior year.
Have a feeling he will get drafted and be a #2 QB for a lucky NFL team. Hope he does well when he comes here for the combine.
I don't remember much about Chandler's time at Iowa. So out of fairness I might be under rating him
Stanley had the most offensive NFL talent during his his three years at Iowa than any other quarterback this century.
It's tough to compare Qbs but I think Mark shouldered the biggest load of those three.
Agree. He led the Hawkeyes on drives which led to late victories and the late losses (uncharacteristically) happened with the defense on the field.
Chandler was a very good game manager. He could surprise you with his running.
Had a shot put arm motion, but don’t recall him being wildly inaccurate. Had some good WR, and he had very good RBs
MG was a great Hawkeye. Iowa was tough to stop when their running game was on. Unfortunately, against the best teams they can limit that aspect and we needed MG to make the easy passes when they were there
He’s no where near the Banks, Tate, Stanzi, CJB
He’s slightly below Stanley. Prob on pare with Ruddock
I think the same thing about people that try and put down a great Hawkeye. I bet you wish you could just make it to average.
Off the top of my head Beathard against Pitt, Minnesota, and NE in 2015. Ruddock had one against Ball St I was in the stands for. Vandenburg against Pitt and MSU. Stanley against Minnesota and ISU. I’m sure all those guys had more game winning drives if I took the time to dig through sports-reference.com. If we give them drives like Grono against OR where they tied or took the lead late I’m sure they all matched that TBH.
Kirk's style of play allows for a lot of opportunities for game winning drives.
He was still a good QB, don’t get me wrong. The stats don’t show how good he really was. I have him just below Stanley in the all time rankings. I’m probably higher on Stanley than most too, I’ve got him at 6 behind Stanzi, Long, Banks, Tate, and Beathard.
Oh, come on. His passing left a lot to be desired.
But he’s a tough cookie, hard to bring down, turned out to be a strong runner who got us through some rough patches, and scored with his legs. Reasonably good in-game manager.