Iowa
The 5 best NFL players of all time from Iowa State football
Iowa State football schedule 2024
Check out which teams Iowa State football will play on its 2024 schedule, including a few first-time opponents.
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.
Watch as Lilly Baron honors Molly, the dog who inspired anti-abuse laws
Lilly Baron and supporters gathered Aug. 14, 2025 in downtown Ocala to honor Molly, the dog who inspired measures to prevent animal abuse.
An animal-welfare organization has released its annual, national report on problem puppy mills, with five of the “Horrible Hundred” businesses located in Iowa.
The report, published Monday by Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, highlights regulatory violations cited at 100 dog breeders across the country. The states with the highest numbers of breeders in this year’s report include Missouri, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Ohio.
More than 20 of the 100 breeders and dealers listed in the report have sold puppies to Petland, the largest chain of pet stores still operating in the United States, according to Humane World for Animals. Many others sell on social media, and on websites such as Puppies.com.
Humane World for Animals compiles its annual report from data included in the inspection reports of various state agencies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Here are the Iowa breeders listed in this year’s report.
Ricky and Mary Brodersen of Mystical Cockers in Kiron
This is the third year Mystical Cockers in Kiron has been listed among the Horrible Hundred. In August 2025, state inspectors cited the business for recurring issues, such as a buildup of hair, debris and feces below the kennels and dogs kept in spaces without solid surfaces on which they could rest. In addition, there was only one caretaker to clean about 60 enclosures daily, with the inspector observing that the “condition of the enclosures indicates this is not adequate” staffing. When inspectors returned in September 2025, they noted that the business was “working on decreasing” the number of dogs.
Co-owner Mary Brodersen was criminally charged in 2012. Court records show Brodersen was charged with 88 counts of animal neglect, resulting in 44 convictions and 44 dismissals. She was later sentenced to 44 days in jail, or one day in jail for each of the 44 convictions. Five separate counts of animal neglect resulting in death or injury were dismissed by the court.
Humane World for Animals reported the arrest occurred after a raid on her previous puppy mill resulted in the confiscation of 88 animals and five dogs were found dead. The American Kennel Club later suspended her for a period of 15 years. Humane World for Animals, however, reports that Ricky Brodersen is still showing cocker spaniels at AKC-linked dog events and has been for years.
William Davenport of Afton
During a July 2025 visit to William Davenport’s business in Afton, a USDA inspector raised concerns about the medical care provided for three dogs. The inspector noted that records indicated Snickers, a 3-year-old female bulldog, had a prolapse on July 15 and 16, 2025, but there were no other medical records regarding the event or any medications that were prescribed.
The records also indicated that Muffin, a 2-year-old female bulldog, had a C-section and was given medication, but there were no records documenting the treatment or the medications that were prescribed. A similar situation involved Princess, a 3-year-old female bulldog who was taken to a veterinarian for a lump on her neck. The USDA also cited the business for a repeat violation related to eight puppies that were missing from the facility with no written record of what had happened to them. When USDA employees returned in November 2025 to check on the dogs, they were not given access to the facility.
In total, Davenport was found to be in violation during six consecutive inspections from July 2024 to November 2025. According to Humane World for Animals, his USDA license was recently canceled, but another license has appeared in the USDA’s database under the name BillieJo Davenport at a nearby address.
Ruth Ewoldt of Furkids in Toronto
For Furkids in the Clinton County community of Toronto. 2026 marks the second time it has been listed among the Horrible Hundred. Owner Ruth Ewoldt was cited for issues during three state inspections conducted in October and November 2025. Issues with fleas were noted at all three inspections.
Other issues included structural repair problems and puppies that had to be treated for giardia, an intestinal infection that can spread to humans. Inspectors also found multiple dogs that were observed to have “dirty ears with discharge,” and the inspector noted that puppies with upper respiratory conditions and ear mites were being sold to customers.
Furkids was listed in the 2021 Horrible Hundred report for issues that included recurring problems with unsanitary conditions and failing to follow disease prevention protocols. During one visit in 2021, inspectors warned Ewoldt that the “odor and stench” at the business could not “be masked with air fresheners and sprays.” The inspector watched as one dog sat down to scratch itself and then landed “in a pile of feces.”
Kimberly Olson of Kimi’s Precious Treasures in Joice
During an October 2025 visit, a state inspector indicated Kimberly Olson of Kimi’s Precious Treasures in Joice was “selling puppies to a broker without a USDA license,” and also appeared to be offering puppies online without the appropriate license. Also, the bottoms of two kennels appeared to be rotting away due to rust.
The inspector reported explaining to Olson that “a USDA license is necessary to sell through, or to, a broker.” In a report, the state inspector noted that Olson would be applying for a federal license with the USDA, but as of April 24, 2026, the USDA had yet to report the issuance of any licensee in the name of Olson or Kimi’s Precious Treasures. Olson held a USDA broker’s license from 2014 to 2022.
Wuanita Swedlund of Farmington
This year marks the third time Wuanita Swedlund of Farmington this business has been listed among the Horrible Hundred. According to Humane World for Animals, Swedlund has repeatedly failed to provide inspectors with access to the facility, “raising grave concerns about the welfare of all her dogs.” Inspectors from the state or the USDA who tried to check on Swedlund’s dogs were unable to do so during six separate inspection attempts from June 2025 to January 2026. Just prior to those incidents, in May 2025, state inspectors had found multiple repeat violations at the business, including unsanitary enclosures and a buildup of feces.
In February 2026, the USDA issued an official warning to Swedlund for the repeat “no access” violations. At the time of that warning, federal inspectors with the USDA had not been able to gain entry to the business since December 2024, when they found a number of concerns that resulted in Swedlund’s appearance on the 2025 Horrible Hundred list, including one heavily matted dog, several dogs with no water, and an enclosure that was “heavily contaminated with fecal material.”
In 2024, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals referenced Swedlund’s violations in a lawsuit against the USDA alleging a lack of enforcement action by the agency. That lawsuit, which is still pending, noted that six puppies had died in the cold at Swedlund’s business but she was not fined or penalized.
Past violations by Swedlund were tied to findings related to injured, limping dogs, and a dog that partially ate a puppy it was able to access in a neighboring enclosure.
Hypothermia death at Nebraska kennel
Breeders in states bordering Iowa that made this year’s Horrible Hundred list include At First Light Farms in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where a dog was allegedly killed after the licensee noticed it had diarrhea and was showing signs of weakness.
USDA inspectors noted that the licensee had not consulted her veterinarian about treating the dog’s illness, nor about the specific methods used to kill the dog. State inspectors said the woman who ran the business concluded the dog was “getting ready to die,” and so she “called her boyfriend” to take care of the matter, although she claimed to have no knowledge as to how the dog was then killed.
At Sandhills Dachshunds in Brewster, Nebraska, inspectors found a dead dog in an outdoor kennel. The dog appeared to have died from hypothermia, as temperatures had been below freezing, and the dead dog — as well as other dogs at Sandhills Dachshunds — lacked bedding or adequate shelter.
“The Horrible Hundred report shows the public the abhorrent reality for dogs at puppy mills — including those that are licensed and inspected,” said John Goodwin, senior managing director for puppy mills and equine protection at the Humane World for Animals.
Find this story at Iowa Capital Dispatch, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: kobradovich@iowacapitaldispatch.com.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – University of Iowa student and staff were asked to avoid the University Capital Centre as a small fire broke out inside the building.
The first Hawk Alert was sent around 9:30 p.m. as the building was evacuated. In about 15 minutes the situation was deemed under control.
The University credits the Iowa City Fire Department for extinguishing the blaze.
There have been no reports of any injuries in this fire.
The Centre is inside the Capital Mall which is home to several businesses.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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