My top five Iowa defensive backs in school history
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – One of the greatest careers in the history of the Iowa football program is about to end.
Senior cornerback and return specialist Desmond King will make his final appearance as a Hawkeye on Jan. 2 against Florida in the Outback Bowl.
The same kid who likely was headed to a Mid-American Conference school until Iowa made a late scholarship offer is now one of the most celebrated defensive backs in school history, if not the Big Ten.
King is the only Jim Thorpe Award winner to return to college after having won the award as a junior in 2015. He didn’t win the award this season, but that largely was due to not having eye-popping statistics because opponents mostly stayed away from King.
The Detroit native basically shutdown half of the field on passing situations. There is no statistic for that like there is for making an interception or a tackle, but it matters a great deal.
With King’s career coming to an end, it had me thinking about his legacy and where he ranks among the greatest Iowa defensive backs.
I took on the task of trying to rank the five best defensive backs in school history. To say that it was difficult would be an understatement.
It was close to impossible because even trimming the list to 10 was hard. I appreciate the many suggestions from Iowa fans because it helped with the selection process to know how they felt.
The first thing I did was list all of the Iowa players who made first-team all-Big Ten as defensive backs exclusively. The list started with Craig Clemons in 1971 and ended with King being honored this season.
All of Iowa’s defensive backs who made first-team all-conference before 1971 were listed as halfbacks because most of them, including the great Nile Kinnick, played both offense and defense.
King was the 25th Hawkeye to earn first-team all-Big Ten exclusively as a defensive back. That total includes some repeat selections, including Mike Stoops, Bob Sanders, Tyler Sash and King.
Dick Gibbs was the first Hawkeye to be honored exclusively as a defensive back, making second-team all-Big Ten in 1966.
And though many of these defensive backs would go on to have successful careers in the NFL, that wasn’t a factor in making the list. All that mattered was what they accomplished as a Hawkeye.
That helps to explain why Emlen Tunnell and Paul Krause didn’t make the final cut.
They both were stars at Iowa, but superstars in the NFL where Krause currently holds the NFL all-time record with 81 interceptions. Tunnel held the previous mark with 79 interceptions.
Krause and Tunnel are both in the NFL Hall of Fame, but neither made first-team all-Big Ten. They both were known more for their exploits on offense in college than on defense.
So after careful consideration, here is my top five Iowa defensive backs, led by the only Heisman Trophy winner in school history.
1. Nile Kinnick (1937-39) – The only two-way player to make the top five, Kinnick played at a time when teams rarely threw downfield.
And yet, he still intercepted 18 passes in 24 games in three seasons as a Hawkeye. He is tied with Devon Mitchell for the most interceptions in school history.
Kinnick was a force on both sides of the line of scrimmage, but his defense often gets overlooked by his greatness on offense.
But to intercept 18 passes in what today amounts to two 12-game regular seasons is truly spectacular. Kinnick, obviously, had great instincts and sure hands, but he also had a knack for seizing the moment and for being in the right place at the right time.
I thought briefly about ranking Bob Sanders first on the list, but Kinnick’s accomplishments, including being Iowa’s only Heisman Trophy winner, wouldn’t allow it. Kinnick had the greatest single season in school history in 1939, a Heisman Trophy-winning performance that included setting the school record with eight interceptions.
2. Bob Sanders (2000-03) – It takes somebody special to almost top Nile Kinnick on any list, but that is exactly what Sanders was as a bone-jarring safety.
The Erie, Pa., native set the tone in practice and in games like no other Iowa player has for years. Sanders was probably the most feared defensive back in college football as a junior and senior. His aggressive playing style wouldn’t fit as well in today’s game, but it made Sanders a legend 15 years ago.
He wasn’t a dirty player, but he also showed no mercy on the field. Sanders pushed it to the limit from a physical standpoint despite being undersized.
Sanders twice made first-team all-Big Ten in 2002 and 2003 and was a second-team choice as a sophomore in 2001.
He didn’t win the Heisman Trophy or the Jim Thorpe Award as did two other players on the list. But Sanders won the hearts of Iowa fans with his ferocious playing style. He led the first resurgence under Kirk Ferentz by changing the culture on and off the field.
He did all of that despite being lightly recruited in high school. Sanders picked Iowa over an offer from Ohio University.
3. Desmond King (2013-16) – Speaking of being lightly recruited in high school, that also describes King.
He probably would’ve attended a Mid-American Conference school if fellow Detroit native Delano Hill hadn’t de-committed from Iowa late in 2012 to attend Michigan. Hill's de-commitment made a scholarship available for King and the rest is history that still is being made.
An injury to former Hawkeye Jordan Lomax made King a starter at cornerback almost from the day he stepped foot on campus in 2013. King has improved steadily over time and will make his 52nd career start in the Outback Bowl.
You could argue that King had the greatest single season in school history for an Iowa defensive back in 2015. His hands were like a magnet to the football and he made one big play after another. He intercepted eight passes to tie Kinnick and Lou King for the school singel-season record.
4. Craig Clemons (1969-71) – Before Bob Sanders, there was Craig Clemons who also struck fear in opponents with his aggressive playing style.
The Sidney, Ohio native made first-team All-America as a senior in 1971 despite playing for a team that finished 1-10. Clemons was a one-man wrecking crew on defense.
He also made second-team all-Big Ten as a sophomore and junior, twice led Iowa in interceptions and was selected in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft and 12th overall by the Chicago Bears.
5. Tyler Sash (2008-10) – This pick was by far the hardest because it came at the expense of so many other worthy candidates, including Merton Hanks, Micah Hyde, Devon Mitchell, Mike Stoops, Tom Knight and Jovon Johnson.
Sash gets the nod because he had a gift for making big plays at pivotal times. He only played three seasons at Iowa, but still is tied with King for fifth in school history with 13 career interceptions. Sash also averaged an incredible 30.2 yards in interception return yardage as a Hawkeye and his 392 interception return yards is a school record and ranks fifth in Big Ten history.
He made first-team all-Big Ten as a sophomore and junior before skipping his senior season to enter the 2011 NFL Draft. Sash played two seasons with the New York Giants and was a rookie on the Giants’ 2011 Super Bowl champion team.
Sash was found dead from an accidental drug overdose on Sept. 8, 2015 in his hometown of Oskaloosa. In January, his family released the results of testing performed on his brain, confirming that he was suffering from Stage 2 Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease, at the time of his death.
So maybe I did sympathize with Sash just a little, but his accomplishments speak for themselves. He was a playmaker and there are statistics to prove it.
Also considered: Merton Hanks, Earl Douthitt, Micah Hyde, Devon Mitchell, Mike Stoops, Tom Knight, Brett Greenwood, Damien Robinson, Bob Stoops, Paul Krause, Jovon Johnson, Lou King and Steve Wilson.