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Iowa football: Hawks have storied history at Senior Bowl

By Andrew Wade

MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 29: Quarterback Ricky Stanzi #12 of the North Team passes over South Team defenders during second quarter of the Under Armour Senior Bowl on January 29, 2011 at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for Under Armour)
MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 29: Quarterback Ricky Stanzi #12 of the North Team passes over South Team defenders during second quarter of the Under Armour Senior Bowl on January 29, 2011 at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for Under Armour) /
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It’s Senior Bowl week, and Iowa football player Anthony Nelson is there. He is 1 of 56 former Hawks that have been a part of this storied tradition.

The Senior Bowl is the cream of the crop when it comes to college postseason all-star games. It provides an opportunity for scouts all over the country for each of the NFL teams to see some of the best seniors in the nation face off against each other, and performances in Mobile can have a profound impact on where these prospects ultimately land in the NFL Draft. Specifically, for Iowa football player Anthony Nelson, it’s a chance to show how you compare to some of the top edge prospects in the country such as Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat (widely regarded as an early first round pick).

While having any Iowa football players in Mobile is great exposure for the Hawks, it’s been a pretty common occurrence in recent history.

In fact, the 2019 Senior Bowl featuring just one Hawkeye is the least amount of representation the Iowa football program has had in Mobile since 2013 when there were no Hawks.

Prior to this year, the Hawks were enjoying a five-year streak of sending two or more players to this prestigious bowl game. Last year it was Sean Welsh and Akrum Wadley (who is now playing in the AAF). The year before that it was the trio of Jaleel Johnson, CJ Beathard, and Desmond King. CJ Fiedorowicz, Christian Kirksey, Carl Davis, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Austin Blythe, and Henry Krieger-Coble are the other guys that make up the attendees from the last five years.

While that list may seem impressive enough, take a look at some of the all-time great Iowa football players that have been a member of the Senior Bowl.

Marvin McNutt ’12

Ricky Stanzi ’11

Marshal Yanda ’07

Chad Greenway ’06

Matt Roth ’05

Bob Sanders ’04

Nate Kaeding ’04

Eric Steinbach ’03

Tim Dwight ’98

Ross Verba ’97

Paul Krause ’64

The Senior Bowl, which has been running consistently since 1950, should feature at least one Iowa football player next year as quarterback Nate Stanley decided to return for his senior season.

Next. Anthony Nelson shining in 2019 Senior Bowl. dark

To watch this year’s Hawkeye representation, Anthony Nelson, in action, tune in to Saturday’s matchup beginning at 130 PM and airing on the NFL Network.

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