Former Iowa St QB Dekkers Finds New College Football Home

Hunter Dekkers has found a new home for the future of his college football career.

The former Iowa State Cyclone starter has announced that he will attend and play football next season at Iowa Western Community College.

Dekkers, a Hawarden Iowa native, will join the Iowa Western CC football program following a championship season for the program in 2023.

Get our free mobile app

Per ESPN.com:

Dekkers, who started for ISU during the 2022 season, was among a group of athletes from ISU and Iowa who pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of underage gambling in September. As part of their plea deal, they received a fine and no other penalties. The group initially faced an aggravated misdemeanor charge of tampering with records that carried a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Dekkers left Iowa State after being charged in August, while continuing to take online classes from home. He told ESPN that the NCAA denied his final years of eligibility because of a single $15 bet placed on Iowa State football in 2021 -- a game in which he played as the backup quarterback -- that was linked to his account. Dekkers appealed the NCAA's initial decision and received the final ruling in late February. He is on track to graduate from Iowa State in May.

Dekkers tossed 19 touchdowns for the Cyclones in 2022 but did not play last season.

Here's what Dekkers had to say about the decision to enroll and play at Iowa Western:

"I decided that going to JUCO was the best route in order to continue to play football and try to get to the next level," Dekkers told ESPN. "I've dedicated and worked my whole life for this sport and my dream. I can't let one mistake define my whole entire career. That's not who I am. I can't quit because something gets hard."

"To know that I'm able to be around a group of guys again, work together with a group of guys again and play football again, it's honestly been a breath of fresh air," Dekkers said. "In this situation, it would have been really easy to just quit and never play again, and just walk away. But for myself, I just couldn't do it. I've worked too hard for everything and I will continue to work every single day for my dreams."

Iowa Western is located in Council Bluffs, and Dekkers will surely bring some competition and elevate the skill level of the quarterback position on the roster.

The Reivers finished last season at 12-1, and won their third national title as a program.

Source: ESPN.com

13 Famous Iowans

It's a great day for Iowans. The first ever Major League Baseball game was played in Dyersville, Iowa last night (August 12) in The Field of Dreams game and it was awesome!

What a great way to showcase a beautiful state and celebrate the hospitality of Iowans.

Iowa may seem far away from Tinsel Town, but The Hawkeye State has produced many famous actors, musicians, and athletes!

The following 13 are just the tip of the iceberg!

Know Your South Dakota College and University Mascots

The college football experience is an ultimate high for football fans and it takes several other teams to make that happen week after week during the season.

Just think about what goes into gameday? First and foremost, the players and coaching staff who put in hours and hours of practice and training to play in front of their fans. Then there's field prep, game officials, live broadcasts, concessions, and on-the-field entertainment. Yep, entertainment.

Second to the game, who do you watch? The cheerleaders? The band at halftime? What about the mascot? That's a job not many people can do.

I asked Sioux Falls native and former Cagey mascot for the Sioux Falls Canaries and Little Red & Herbie for the Nebraska Huskers Nate Welch about being a mascot:

What does it take to be a mascot?
"Losing a bet or filling an opportunity!" Welch says, "An internal energized desire to love life. After meeting great performers who are introverts out of costume, they become the center of attention when they take the stage. And also feeding off the performance of others."
Why does the mascot never talk?
"Know your role and shut your mouth. You are there to entertain. Tell the story with your actions and not your voice."
Advice to someone putting on that costume for the first time?
"Remember you are now in a costume. Have fun. Otherwise, you're just a dork in tights. If the fur ain't flying you ain't trying."

Nate Welch has moved on from his days as a mascot to Executive Director of the Vermillion Area Chamber of Commerce and Development Company in Vermillion, South Dakota.

So, can you name the mascots at our South Dakota Colleges and Universities? Check out the gallery below:

Gallery Credit: Dave Roberts

South Dakota Born NFL Players of this Century

While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.