AH podcast: Former Iowa linebacker Chad Greenway looks back at his celebrated football career
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former Iowa All-America linebacker Chad Greenway was our guest on Monday's podcast, and just like on the football field, Chad always delivers during an interview.
He spent about 30 minutes at the beginning of the 90-minute podcast reflecting on his celebrated football career, which ended when Greenway retired from the NFL after the 2016 season. He played all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and still lives in the Minneapolis area with his wife and four children.
Being a husband and a father keeps Greenway busy in retirement, but football still is very close to his heart.
The game changed the course of Greenway's life, as did his decision to attend the University of Iowa on a football scholarship from 2001-05. Iowa was the only Division I school to offer Greenway a scholarshalp and he would go on to reward the Iowa coaches for believing in him by becoming one of the greatest linebackers in program history.
Greenway and classmate and close friend Abdul Hodge formed a potent one-two punch at linebacker for the Hawkeyes. Greenway praised Hodge for making him a better player and a better person. He said they both fed off each other and were constantly pushing each other to improve.
Greenway also paid his respects to Iowa head Kirk Ferentz, assistant coach Reese Morgan, strength coach Chris Doyle and former Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker, who passed away in 2014. All four played a key role in Greenway's success at Iowa.
Morgan was largely responsible for recruiting Greenway, while Parker helped turn Greenway into a star linebacker.
Greenway grew up on a farm in South Dakota and played nine-man football in high school. To say that he defied the odds by becoming a star in college and in the NFL would be an understatement.
Few, if any players symbolize the Iowa football progrm under Kirk Ferentz more than Greenway does,
You can tell how much being a Hawkeye means to Greenway just from listening to this podcast. He is very passionate about his alma mater.