Editor’s note. This is the fifth in a series ranking the top 10 Iowa players at each position. Up next: defensive line.

 

By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – While the game of football has evolved considerably over the past century, the role of an offensive lineman still comes down mostly to blocking the guy in front of you.

The 10 offensive linemen on the following list excelled in that role, so much so that they beat out a deep and distinguished field of candidates to rank as one of the 10 greatest Iowa offensive linemen of all time.

This is the fifth in a series in which the top 10 Iowa players are being ranked at each position.

And just like with the previous four rankings of tight ends, quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, trimming the list to the 10 best Hawkeye offensive linemen wasn’t easy.

Iowa has a long-standing reputation for developing standout offensive linemen dating back to when Hayden Fry coached the Hawkeyes from 1979 to 1998.

Kirk Ferentz has helped to enhance that reputation by coaching 19 offensive linemen at Iowa that would go on to be selected in the NFL draft.

There was some thought to having a separate list of the 10 best Iowa centers of all time, but it was ultimately decided to include centers for this list.

And just a reminder that these rankings are based soley on success as a Hawkeye.

So, if you’re wondering why Marshal Yanda didn’t make the list, that’s why.

His situation is similar to George Kittle as a tight end in that they both have had, or in Yanda’s case, did have more success in the NFL than in college.

Alex Karras also didn’t make this list because he was considered a better defensive lineman.

10. Fred Becker, 1916 – The Waterloo native has a legacy that stretches far beyond the football field as he was killed on July 18, 1918 while fighting for his country in World War I. He was 22 at the time of his death on a battlefield in France.

On the football field, Becker became the first Hawkeye in any sport to earn first-team All-America honors, earning that distinction in 1916 as an offensive tackle in his only season as a Hawkeye.

Walter Eckersall of the Chicago Tribune named Becker a first team All-American and said this about him: “No matter where he was placed, his work was a feature. He was strong and powerful and quick to size up the attack of his opponents. He seldom failed to open holes for the backs and was on top of the play all year.”

9. Bryan Bulaga, 2007-09 – The Illinois native played left guard in his true freshman season in 2007, and was a starter by mid-season. He was named to the Sporting News Freshman All-Big Ten team.

In 2008, he switched to left tackle, and he started every game at that position for the Hawkeyes. He earned a second team All-Big Ten by the coaches and was a second team Sophomore All-American selection by College Football News.

In 2009, after missing three games with a thyroid disease, Bulaga started all of the remaining games for the Hawkeyes, including their 24–14 win over Georgia Tech in the 2010 Orange Bowl. He was named the Big Ten’s offensive lineman of the year for 2009.

He skipped his senior season to enter the 2010 NFL draft where he was selected in the first round by the Green Bay Packers.

8. Tristan Wirfs, 2017-19 – The Mount Vernon native started seven games at right tackle in 2017, becoming the first true freshman to start at offensive tackle in the Kirk Ferentz era.

After his sophomore season, Wirfs broke the Hawkeye hang clean record held by Brandon Scherff, setting the new mark at 450 pounds.

Kirk Ferentz then challenged Wirfs publicly to carry his success in the weight room to the playing field, and Wirfs would go on to meet that challenge.

He was named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year as a junior in 2019 and was also named a first-team All-America that season by at least three news outlets.

He would forgo his final season at Iowa and enter the 2020 NFL draft where he was selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

7. John Niland, 1963-65 – He attended Amityville High School in New York and earned all-state honors as a high school fullback.

He came to Iowa as a fullback, but then switched to the offensive line where he became the starter at right tackle as a sophomore.

He earned first-team All-America accolades as a senior in 1965, and second-team as a junior in 1964.  He was also named first-team All-Big Ten as a senior in 1965 and second-team as a junior.

6. Eric Steinbach, 1998-2002 – The Illinois native came to Iowa as a tight end under Hayden Fry and then left as a consensus All-America offensive lineman under Kirk Ferentz.

Steinbach was named a consensus All-American as a senior guard in 2002, and was also the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year that season.  He also made first-team All-Big Ten as a junior in 2001.

He started all 13 games in 2002 for an Iowa team that won a share of the Big Ten title and that only allowed 13 sacks for the entire season.

5. Tyler Linderbaum, 2019-21 – The Solon native came to Iowa as a three-star defensive lineman recruit and then left in January as arguably the greatest center in program history.

He earned consensus All-America honors this past season, and was the recipient of the Rimington Award which goes to nation’s top collegiate center. He was also named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2021 and was a first-team All-Big Ten pick as a sophomore in 2020.

He could’ve added to his Hawkeye legacy but chose to enter the 2022 NFL draft as a junior and was selected in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens, and with the 25^th pick overall.

4. Brandon Scherff, 2011-14 – The Denison native became the fourth player in program history to win the Outland Trophy, earning that distinction as a senior in 2014.

He was also named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2014, and he twice made first-team all-conference.

He also won the Hayden Fry “Extra Heartbeat” Award as a senior and started all 26 games over his final two seasons at left tackle. He started 36 games overall as a Hawkeye.

3. Robert Gallery, 2000-2003 – The Masonville native came to Iowa as a tight end and then left as one of the most decorated offensive linemen in program history.

As a senior left tackle in 2003, he earned consensus All-America honors, won the Outland Trophy and was named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.

He also received the Hayden Fry “Extra Heartbeat” Award after leading Iowa to a share of the Big Ten title in 2002 and after leading Iowa to January bowl games in 2002 and 2003.

2. Fred “Duke” Slater, 1918-21 – The Clinton native earned first-team All-America honors as a senior in 1921, and second-team recognition as a sophomore in 1919.

He was also a three-time All-Big Ten selection and he helped lead Iowa to a 7-0 record in 1921 under head coach Howard Jones.

Slater was a trailblazer as one of very few black players during his time. He also played without a helmet because he reportedly couldn’t afford one.

The field at Kinnick Stadium is named in his honor, as is Slater Hall dormitory.

1. Cal Jones, 1953-55 – He came to Iowa as part of the Steubenville trio from Ohio, and he would leave as the program’s first winner of the Outland Trophy, which goes to the nation’s top interior collegiate lineman.

Jones earned that honor as a senior in 1955, and he was also Iowa’s first two-time consensus All-American. He was named to 22 All-America teams as a Hawkeye.

A three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, his jersey No. 62 is one of just two retired numbers at Iowa, the other being Nile Kinnick’s No. 24.

Jones was named to the Iowa Varsity Hall of Fame in 1989, and he is also a member of the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame.

He helped lay the foundation under head coach Forest Evashevski, who coached the Hawkeyes from 1952-60 and won three Big Ten titles.

Jones died in a plane crash on Dec. 9, 1956 in British Columbia at the age of 23. He had just participated in the East-West All-Star game in Canada.

Also considered: Jon Alt, Riley Reiff, Jay Hilgenberg, Joel Hilgenberg, Jerry Hilgenberg, Ross Verba, Emerson Nelson, Bob Kratch, Mike Haight, Mike Goff, Dave Croston, Jon Meskimen, Scott Davis, Bruce Nelson, David Porter, Francis Schammel, Mark Manders, Joe Devlin, Peter Westra, Mike Enich, Mike Riley, Mike Devlin, Rod Walters.