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The 5 best NFL players of all time from Iowa State football

Published

1 year ago

June 24, 2024

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The 5 best NFL players of all time from Iowa State football

From Charles Heileman in 1939 to T.J. Tampa in 2024, Iowa State football has had 139 players selected in the NFL Draft.

There are no Iowa State alumni in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but a few have enjoyed prolonged periods of elite success at the next level.

Here’s a look at the best NFL careers of all time from former Cyclone stars:

More: Four potential breakout players in Iowa State football’s 2024 campaign

Matt Blair (LB, 1974-85)

After a terrific career at Iowa State, which saw him be named Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the 1971 Sun Bowl and a 1973 All-American, Blair was selected in the second round, 51st overall, by the Minnesota Vikings in 1974.

Blair earned by far the most recognition of any Iowa State alum during his NFL career. He notched six Pro Bowl nods (1977-82) and one first-team All-Pro (1980) selection in his 12 seasons, finishing his career with 160 games played, 130 games started, 23 sacks, 16 interceptions and 20 fumble recoveries.

He ranks third in NFL history with 20 blocked kicks on special teams, the most notable being his blocked punt against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX that resulted in a touchdown — the Vikings’ only points in the 16-6 loss.

Blair was also an integral part of Minnesota’s 11-2-1 1976 squad that sported the league’s second-ranked defense and returned to the Super Bowl. The former Cyclone during that season tallied two interceptions and five fumble recoveries, as well as two fumble recoveries in the Vikings’ 24-13 NFC Championship victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Blair was inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor in 2012.

He died on October 22, 2020, at the age of 70.

More: Former Iowa State, Minnesota Vikings football star Matt Blair remembered as a kick-blocking pioneer

Keith Sims (G, 1990-2000)

Sims’ Cyclones career was stellar, making him the 39th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 1990 draft and an Iowa State Hall of Fame inductee in 2006.

The guard was an integral piece of the unit that blocked for Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. Sims earned three consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 1993-95, as well as second-team All-Pro honors in 1994.

Sims played his last three seasons for Washington after eight seasons in Miami. Overall, Sims started in 133 of his 142 career games, as well as all seven of his playoff games.

More: Iowa State football schedule 2024: Ranking the Cyclones’ six most compelling games

Marcus Robertson (DB, 1991-2002)

Robertson totaled 257 tackles, six interceptions and nine forced fumbles during his ISU career, good enough for the Houston Oilers to pick him in the fourth round, 102nd overall, in the 1991 NFL Draft. Iowa State inducted Robertson into its Hall of Fame in 2009.

He mostly played free safety during 12 professional seasons, with his best campaign coming in 1993 when Robertson was named first-team All-Pro. That year he notched 82 total tackles, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries for a league-leading 107 fumble-return yards and one TD.

Although he never replicated that production again, Robertson remained a steady starter for more than a decade. He remained with the organization when it transitioned from the Houston Oilers to the Tennessee Titans and was a key piece of the team’s run to Super XXXIV, although he missed the game after getting injured during an interception in the AFC Championship Game.

Robertson played his final two NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before retiring at age 33. Overall, he started in 144 of his 162 career games and finished with totals of 24 interceptions and 72 passes defensed.

Robertson remains involved in professional football. He began as the Titans’ director of player development, and he and his staff received the Winston and Shell Award in 2006 for innovation and commitment to player development.

The former Cyclone then shifted to the sidelines and is currently the defensive backs coach for the New Orleans Saints. He was also a coaching staff member for the Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions.

Kelechi Osemele (T, 2012-20)

Osemele vaulted up draft boards after his 2011 Cyclones season garnered him All-American honors from Sports Illustrated, as well as a first-team All-Big 12 selection. He was chosen in the second round, 60th overall, by the Baltimore Ravens in 2012.

Osemele started all 16 regular-season games as a rookie and all four playoff contests en route to the franchise’s Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The ex-Cyclone had back surgery during his sophomore campaign, missed 13 games over the next three seasons and was not resigned by Baltimore, making him a free agent. He eventually landed with the Oakland Raiders in 2016 on a five-year, $60 million deal.

In 2018, Osemele was the second-highest-paid left guard in the NFL.

He played the best football of his career in the silver and black. Osemele was named to the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017, and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2016 for a Raiders offense that had the sixth-best rushing offense in the league.

Injuries then piled up for Osemele. He played in just 19 games over his final three seasons and was traded from Oakland to the New York Jets in 2019, and later signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 before retiring.

Brock Purdy (QB, 2022-23)

“Mr. Irrelevant,” the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, has already etched himself onto the list of greatest NFL players from Iowa State.

Purdy’s three All-Big 12 selections and 32 Cyclones program records weren’t enough to garner significant interest from pro scouts, but just as he did when he began his ISU career, the Arizona native rose from the bottom of San Francisco’s depth chart to starter and never looked back.

In just two seasons leading the 49ers’ talented roster, Purdy has taken the franchise to consecutive NFC Championship Games and Super Bowl LVIII. In 25 career games, he’s thrown for 5,654 yards, 44 TDs and just 15 interceptions.

He has a 17-4 regular-season record as a starter, and his only playoff loss when playing a full game came in the Super Bowl against back-to-back champion Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in overtime.

When it’s all said and done, Purdy could be Iowa State’s greatest NFL product.

Gus Martin is a Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @GusMartin_DMR.

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

Published

8 hours 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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Matt Campbell almost left Iowa State twice before landing at Penn State. Why PSU made sense

Published

21 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Matt Campbell almost left Iowa State twice before landing at Penn State. Why PSU made sense

Not long after Matt Campbell settled in as Iowa State’s football coach, the victories began to accumulate.

Campbell’s 2016 ISU team, his first one, won three games.

His next four teams won a total of 32, including the Cyclones’ 9-3 finish in 2020.

Prior to Campbell’s arrival at Iowa State, winning in Ames was difficult.

It was hard not to notice.

Campbell, who became Penn State’s coach after a 10-year run at Iowa State, said recently he almost left Ames twice before finally saying yes to Pat Kraft and the Nittany Lions.

Almost.

“I would say there were probably two really close opportunities that I probably kind of accepted,” Campbell said last Monday.

“And then I said, ‘You know what, I can’t do it’. I slept on it, and I walked away from it, during our 10 years (at Iowa State).”

“In fairness to those organizations, I’m not going to talk about it.”

New Penn State coach Matt Campbell is introduced

Campbell wasn’t sure then.

But he said it was different when Penn State approached him about becoming the permanent replacement for James Franklin.

Two major reasons why are Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi and Kraft, the Lions’ athletic director.

“From Neeli’s standpoint, she’s a wow, and the wow factor of character, integrity, what she was looking for,” Campbell said.

“After getting off that phone call, I was like, this is the type of people you want to associate with.”

“I would say from Pat’s standpoint, (he is) this uber-competitive, want to be a partner, want to be an asset to you in this changing world of college football,” Campbell continued.

“Like, you can’t do it by yourself anymore. You have to be aligned. … Those two things, they were unwavering for me, and they were things that said, you know what, this is really special.”

A huge factor for Campbell was his family – wife Erica, daughters Katie and Izzy and sons Rudy and Rocco.

“Now, the regionality of bringing my family back home,” said Campbell, who is from Massillon, Ohio.

“I mean, being 12 hours away and for my kids to never see their grandparents and never see their cousins, and to have my father and my mother and Erica’s family be able to come and be a part of this experience with us again.

“I can’t lie and tell you that didn’t have a big impact. I think it certainly did, as well.”

Campbell also knew he reached his ceiling at Iowa State, going 72-55 in 10 seasons. The highlight of his run was the Cyclones’ 11-3 finish in 2024.

“Knowing what we’ve done (at ISU), I mean, the last three years at Iowa State have been the greatest three-year run in the history of the school,” Campbell said.

“I don’t know what else we could have done there, and I’m really proud of what we did there.”

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