Iowa

Iowa football: Who is Brendan Sullivan, Hawkeyes’ new QB1? He hates to lose

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Iowa football: Who is Brendan Sullivan, Hawkeyes’ new QB1? He hates to lose

IOWA CITY — By the time he caught the ball, Iowa football tight end Johnny Pascuzzi already had a roughly six-yard head start on Brendan Sullivan.

Sullivan, who had just faked a toss, rolled to his right and pushed a pass to Pascuzzi, could’ve very well let his contributions to the play end right there. Instead, Sullivan turned on the jets, racing down the field and, despite the disadvantage, passed Pascuzzi to become a lead blocker.

“It wasn’t an official race, but you could probably say he’s faster than Pascuzzi,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I guess that was the takeaway. But it says something about his personality, too, him wanting to get down there and help the play. He could have stood there and been a spectator, but he threw the ball and then he started basically trucking down the field. That, to me, was being a good teammate.”

Video: Kirk Ferentz on Brendan Sullivan, Cade McNamara and more

Kirk Ferentz discusses a variety of topics ahead of Iowa’s matchup with Wisconsin.

Iowa had planned to give Sullivan extended playing time in Saturday’s win over Northwestern. But an injury to Cade McNamara meant that Sullivan would take over full-time. He finished the game with 79 passing yards, 41 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground, helping lead the Hawkeyes to a 40-14 win over his former program.

That extra effort block epitomizes who Sullivan is.

“Just the way I was raised,” Sullivan said. “My dad taught me to play the game with full effort, full confidence and just control the controllables. And so that’s something I can control — is helping my guy get more yards. If that’s going to help the team out, I’m going to do that every time.”

And now comes the next phase of Sullivan’s growing role. With McNamara out on Saturday due to a concussion, Sullivan will make his first career start as a Hawkeye when Iowa hosts Wisconsin.

“He embraced what it means to be an Iowa Hawkeye,” said center Logan Jones. “He does it at such a high level and he plays with so much passion. That’s the kind of guy we want. We want a physical guy, who plays hard and is competitive. He’s brought that since day one. That’s who he’s been. That’s his identity.”

Video: Logan Jones on what QB Brendan Sullivan brings to Iowa football

Logan Jones discusses QB Brendan Sullivan ahead of Iowa’s matchup with Wisconsin.

That’s what he showed at Davison High School in Michigan.

During his junior season, Davison was playing Lapeer in the playoffs. Lapeer, who was hosting the game, used motorcycle sounds to celebrate home touchdowns. So when Sullivan ran in a touchdown in the first quarter, he pretended to rev a motorcycle, mocking the opponent’s tradition.

Davison won that game and went on to capture a Division I state championship.

“He’s just a competitor,” said Davison coach Jake Weingartz. “Quarterbacks usually don’t freaking run their mouth and talk s— and flex on dudes. He just lets it rip, which gains the trust of his teammates and teammates’ respect. He’s just a dawg.”

Sullivan used to think he was going to play basketball in college, not football. He confirmed Tuesday that he can still do a windmill dunk.

“It’s not gonna be backed by a lot of guys, but I’d make the argument that I’m one of the best (basketball players) on the team,” Sullivan said.

Deontae Craig is among those Sullivan named in the mix for that crown. Upon being suggested he probably doesn’t want to be on the block with Craig, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 266 pounds, Sullivan answered:

“I’d challenge him,” he said with a laugh. “He can hear this. Any part of that court, I’ll challenge him.”

Video: Brendan Sullivan ahead of 1st career Iowa start: ‘Foot on the gas’

QB Brendan Sullivan discusses a variety of topics ahead of his first career start for Iowa football.

But it was football where he found his future. At Davison, Sullivan used to meet with Weingartz at lunch to watch film, habits that he has shown since arriving at Iowa. In July, Sullivan said he typically got to the facility around 5:30 a.m., did Bible study, watched film and then did a stretching routine.

Sullivan isn’t afraid to demand excellence from others, either. One time during practice in high school, a receiver didn’t run a route correctly and “B freaking lit his a– up,” Weingartz said.

Sullivan was mostly pursued by non-power conference programs, and even the recruiting process with Northwestern took some creativity. Because so much was shut down due to COVID-19, Sullivan and Weingartz went to an elementary playground for a workout. Weingartz FaceTimed Northwestern’s offensive coordinator at the time so he could see Sullivan doing drills.

“You could see like swingsets in the background,” Weingartz said. “It was nuts.”

After his time at Davison, Sullivan spent three seasons with the Wildcats. In two of those seasons, Sullivan began the season as a reserve but ended up starting multiple games. There is so much value in that now that Sullivan finds himself in a similar situation at Iowa.

Despite joining the Hawkeyes program after spring practice, it didn’t take long for Sullivan’s bravado to become evident. His trash talk even caused some friction.

“I like letting the defense know when we’re playing pretty well and they didn’t like that one day,” Sullivan said. “So it got a little heated and then kinda went on from there. It’s all love, it’s all fun and I love that part of the game.”

Sullivan was beaten out for the starting job by McNamara but still managed to carve out a role on offense. In Iowa’s third game of the season against Troy, Sullivan was utilized around the goal line, a specialized package that was widely successful and continued throughout the year. Then he earned extended playing time against Northwestern.

At one point in that game against the Wildcats, Sullivan had exerted himself so much that when he tried to deliver a play in the huddle, Jones couldn’t even understand what he was saying.

“He’s obsessed with the game,” Weingartz said. “He’s obsessed with getting better. The kid is a competitor to the 8,000th degree. He f—ing hates to lose. Like you watch him on the field — he’s got a s— ton of swagger.”

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

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Iowa

Local business highlights Iowa agriculture impact during Iowa Secretary Mike Naig visit

Published

20 minutes ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Local business highlights Iowa agriculture impact during Iowa Secretary Mike Naig visit

CENTERVILLE, Iowa (KYOU) – A state innovation grant is helping a local meat processing facility serve area farmers and strengthen Iowa’s food supply chain.

Country Roads Meat Processing received funding through Iowa’s “Choose Iowa” butchery innovation grant program to update equipment at their facility.

Owner Melanie Seals said the business processes beef from multiple local farmers.

“Probably at least purchase beef from at least 20 to 25 different farmers,” Seals said.

Seals, who grew up on her family farm butchering meat, now runs Country Roads Meat Processing with her husband.

On Monday she gave Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig a tour of the facility.

“I mean we both grew up on farms we always butchered our own meat, and we just want to the local movement ally just excel and to grow,” Seals said.

The Choose Iowa butchery innovation grant helps small meat processors update and expand their operations. Seals used the money to update the facility’s equipment, which she said helps supply an important link in the food chain.

Seals said the grant is also helping the business increase visibility for more farmers in the community.

“We like to get as many as we can on the board up there so that way more people can know,” Seals said.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said he wants to see this kind of success statewide.

“What we’re seeing is a reasonable investment on the part of the state results in a significant investment locally which again drives more businesses,” Naig said.

The success matters as farmers continue to face challenges ahead.

“Were optimistic for another good growing season but that the marketplace will respond,” Naig said.

For Seals, the grant represents a solution that pays off by investing in the future for local farmers.

“We like to help those people that are local have their own businesses and we just kind of want to be a hub for all of that,” Seals said.

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Iowa National Guard identifies 2 soldiers killed in ‘ambush’ in Syria

Published

12 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Iowa National Guard identifies 2 soldiers killed in ‘ambush’ in Syria

The Iowa National Guard on Dec. 15 identified the two soldiers killed by a gunman with suspected ties to the Islamic state in Syria.

They are Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25.

The two sergeants killed were members of an Iowa Army National Guard unit deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. military’s counter-ISIS mission, the Iowa National Guard said in its announcement.

The soldiers were killed alongside their interpreter in an “ambush by a lone ISIS gunman,” U.S. Central Command said in a Dec. 13 statement. “The gunman was engaged and killed.”

Three servicemembers were also injured in the attack, according to the statement.

Howard’s father, the chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department in central Iowa, shared on Facebook that his son was one of the soldiers killed.

“My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us,” Chief Jeffrey Bunn wrote in a post on Dec. 13.

Bunn identified the interpreter killed as Ayad Sakat.

The troops were killed while they were on a “key leader engagement” in Palmyra, a city in central Syria, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on X. “Partner forces” killed the attacker, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.

The shooter was a member of the country’s security forces who had been investigated and assessed to harbor possible extremist views just days before the attack, according to Syria’s government.

President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate after the attack. “There will be very serious retaliation,” he wrote in a social media post.

Trump has tightened ties with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida fighter who toppled his predecessor, Bashar al-Assad, in a stunning overthrow late last year.

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Iowa

Addy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Addy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI

AMES – When the Iowa State women’s basketball team came out for warmups prior to the Dec. 14 game against Northern Iowa, Cyclones junior Addy Brown peeked over at the Panthers.

Brown, who knew Iowa State star Audi Crooks wouldn’t be playing, wanted to see how her in-state rivals would react to the Cyclones’ star center not being available.

“I just saw a lot of smiles,” Brown said.

“I really think they had some hope and they were excited. And I was like, ‘Ah, no, you’re not going to be too excited for long.’ That made me mad. That gave me more motivation. I don’t forget things very easy.”

Brown took things into her own hands. She scored a game-high 28 points as the 10th-ranked Cyclones beat Northern Iowa 81-53 at Hilton Coliseum on Sunday. Brown added 12 rebounds and three assists while connecting on 10-for-20 shots from the field including 4-for-7 from 3-point range while successfully filling the void left by Crooks.

“I think we gave them hope and I was going to make sure we took that hope away,” Brown said with a smile.

There was certainly reason for optimism for the Panthers. It was just a year ago that Northern Iowa took down a ranked Iowa State squad that had Crooks in its lineup in Cedar Falls. Crooks, who entered the weekend leading the nation in scoring at 27.8 points per game, wasn’t available this time around.

The Cyclones post player was out with a head injury she sustained during Iowa State’s win over Iowa earlier in the week. Crooks is in return-to-play protocol. Iowa State was also without Evangelia Paulk, a key contributor off the bench who was dealing with a mild soft tissue injury. Guard Reese Beaty is also out with a foot injury.

So the Cyclones decided to lean on Brown, one of the most versatile players in the nation, in their final in-state game and final non-conference game of the season. Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly made it clear to her before the game that she was going to have to step up in a big way.

“I told her, ‘You need to show people what I already know about you’ and ironically I told her before the game, ‘If you don’t take 20 shots, the whole team is running,’” Fennelly said.

Brown took the challenge on. She scored all eight points during an 8-0 run in the first quarter that gave the Cyclones a 14-10 lead. Brown also had five points during an 11-0 run to close out the second quarter. She capped it off by draining a 3-pointer right before the buzzer, throwing her hands in the air as the team went to the locker room.

“I was a little tired,” Brown said. “I needed a break.”

Brown nearly had a double-double by halftime, finishing the first two quarters with 21 points and eight rebounds as Iowa State led 48-26.

The Cyclones outscored Northern Iowa 19-12 in the third quarter. Brown barely needed to play in the fourth quarter, checking out with 7:32 left and Iowa State up 71-38. She needed just 28 minutes and 36 seconds of playing time to do all of her damage.

While Iowa State needed contributions from Crooks’ backups at the center spot, it was Brown who needed to take on an even bigger role Sunday.

“We had to capitalize today and it was going to be a tough one with three of our players out, but we stepped up in big ways,” Brown said. “I think it was exciting.”

What’s next for Audi Crooks

Fennelly said that he was “hopeful” that Crooks would be back when the Cyclones open Big 12 Conference play on Dec. 21 against Kansas. Crooks has been dominant this season, shooting better than 72% from the floor while pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game.

Fennelly said Crooks got hit in the head during Iowa State’s win over Iowa.

“You can’t take any chances with anyone,” Fennelly said following Sunday’s game. “She’s still mad at me because we didn’t play her, but we’re not doing that. I don’t care who we’re playing or where we’re playing.”

Fennelly said the team needs to see improvement from Crooks before she’s ready to return.

“We’ll probably know by the end of the week,” he said. “But hopefully that she’ll be back.”

Bill Fennelly provides updates on Evangelia Paulk and Audi Crooks

Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly gives injury updates on Evangelia Paulk and Audi Crooks

Fennelly gives injury update on Paulk

Iowa State was also without Paulk, an important contributor off the bench. The transfer played in Iowa State’s first 11 games this season, averaging 1.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 11.6 minutes per game. Fennelly said Paulk was dealing with a neck injury after possibly sleeping on it wrong.

“She can’t move her neck,” Fennelly said. “So my guess is she’ll be OK.”

Alisa Williams and Lilly Taulelei fill the center spot for Crooks

With Crooks unavailable to play, the Cyclones leaned on Alisa Williams and Taulelei. Both gave Iowa State important minutes. Williams started in Crooks’ place and scored 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting. She also grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists. Taulelei added eight points and two rebounds off the bench.

Williams said she was excited for the opportunity.

“Just knowing I needed to be myself — I don’t have to be anybody else,” Williams said.

Tanya Warren raves about Iowa State

Iowa State was in the midst of a strong season a year ago, having won its first four games before playing at Northern Iowa. The Cyclones, then ranked eighth in the Associated Press poll, suffered a brutal 87-75 loss to the Panthers.

Iowa State went on to win 23 games but had to play in the “First Four” round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones were expected to compete for a Big 12 title and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament but neither of those things happened.

Northern Iowa coach Tanya Warren said the Cyclones are much improved from a season ago thanks to Brown and Crooks and the addition of point guard Jada Williams, who scored 10 points and handed out eight assists in Sunday’s win.

“They’re efficient,” Warren said. “They’re on a mission. You can tell they’re driven and they’re playing with a purpose.”

Iowa State gets ready for Big 12 play

The Cyclones finished off non-conference play with a 12-0 record. While the schedule wasn’t overly demanding, Iowa State does have some nice wins. The Cyclones handed Indiana its first loss during the Coconut Hoops event in Florida. Iowa State also beat in-state rivals Drake, Iowa and Northern Iowa to win its first unofficial state title since 2021.

“We take great pride, great pride in winning all of our in-state games,” Fennelly said. “Some people think it’s not a big deal. We think it’s a huge deal and we take that seriously.”

The victories could be nice resume-builders for Iowa State on Selection Sunday if the Cyclones need an at-large bid. But the true success of the season will be judged on Big 12 play. The Cyclones, who were picked to finish second in the league, begin with Kansas on Dec. 21 at Hilton Coliseum.

“We’re ready,” Fennelly said. “It’s time.”

Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.

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