Sports stats

Is This Heaven? No, There's Just A Lot of Iowa Players

July 15, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release


For University of Iowa Hawkeyes football fans in the Quad Cities area, watching Quad City Steamwheelers football is getting to be a little like watching the Hawks on a fall afternoon in Kinnick Stadium. Only Steamwheelers fans watch the action indoors and the ‘Wheelers uniforms are slightly different.

But when fans look to the field, they will see numerous Hawkeyes on the field and the sidelines. Seven former Hawkeyes are on the Steamwheelers roster (active and injured reserve), giving Hawkeye fans that Hawkeye feel without the 55-minute drive to Iowa City.

The list of players include the most recent of Hawkeys OL/DL O.J. Payne, WR/LB Tony Burrier and OL/DL Pete Traynor, all who were apart of the 2002 Big Ten Championship Hawkeyes team that went to the Orange Bowl.

"Something like this was not expected at all," Burrier said. "I didn't even know there was this opportunity until a couple weeks after the Orange Bowl, then a couple of the Iowa coaches suggested that I come down here and try out. Little did I know that O.J. had already signed with the Steamwheelers, nor did I think that Pete would be joining us either, so it's great to be playing with my former teammates. It's really nice to be sharing this experience with them.

"Playing with these guys is truly an honor," Payne said of playing with Traynor and Burrier. "We know each other well, we are all hard nosed football players, that's why it's an honor. It's almost unbelievable that we all have this opportunity to continue our football careers together on the same team.

"We never would have imagined that we would be playing together again (after the Orange Bowl game)," Traynor said. "It's awesome, plus playing with guys I played with a few years ago, Cory Bern, Tim Dodge, Corey Brown, it's fun playing with those guys. It made things a lot easier when I got here."

Also on the list of former Hawks turned ‘Wheelers are: OL/DL Corey Brown, DS Eric Thigpen, FB/LB Derrick "Dynamite" Davison and the "60-Minute Man" WR/DB Tim Dodge. The situation for Dodge is really a unique one as he has played with all seven former Hawkeyes at one time or another.

Dodge was a freshman when Thigpen was a senior and played with Davison, Traynor, Payne, Burrier and Brown at one time or another.

"It was real nice when I first got here because I knew some guys, instead of not knowing anybody and that made it real easy," Dodge said. "When you leave Iowa, you really don't think that you are going to see these guys again, let alone play with them again, it's just something that you never would have thought to happen.

"This is a good situation for guys from Iowa, who don't get the opportunity to go play at the highest professional level right after school as they continue their football career. They can come here and play for an owner/operator (Jim Foster) who is a former Hawkeye and with all these other players who are Hawkeyes makes it so much better," Davison said.

Davison has missed the majority of this season due to a knee injury from late last season that has not healed the way that he and the coaches would have liked, but is still an active part of the team.

"It's been nice to see the number of former Hawkeyes on the roster grow over the years," four-year Steamwheelers star Brown said. "Some of these guys who got to see me play in 2000 and 2001 and started to like the arena game and came out and tried it themselves and it has worked out well for them.

"It also makes for some good stories on the road," Brown added.

All thanks to Steamwheelers Managing Owner/Operator Jim Foster, who invented the game of Arena Football in 1987. He has given these players in the AFL and af2 a chance to continue their dream. Oh yeah, and he just so happens to be a Hawkeye alumni himself.

Foster is obviously proud of the Hawkeye linkage but also sees it as being an important opportunity to give good college players a chance to get professional level experience.

"Most college players hope to have a chance to play "pro ball" and we fulfill that opportunity if they are good enough to make our club," Foster said. "In some cases, it can prove to be a spring board to the next level with the AFL or even the NFL. Whether they're Hawkeyes, Cyclones, Leathernecks, whatever, I feel very positive about being able to provide that opportunity to good players."

So does Jim's father, a limited partner owner in the team. A former Hawkeye player and graduate assistant coach right after World War II (1945-1948), Pat Foster, a long-time Iowa City Maytag Appliance dealer, has been very active with both the Hawkeyes football program as well as with Arena Football.

"He is really the vital link behind a lot of what has happened with Iowa football and us," according to the younger Foster. "His close, personal friendships with Hayden Fry, Kirk Ferentz and their staffs over the years have been a major reason for the constant influx of quality Hawkeye players.

"In fact Jon Roehlk and former star running back Eddie Phillips were two of the first players to sign Arena Football League contracts in 1987 when I got the AFL up and running. My dad pulled that together behind the scenes."

More recently, the senior Foster brought Kirk Ferentz and his family to the July 12th game to see his former players play. He also addressed the ‘Wheelers pre-game in the locker room at the request of head coach Rich Ingold (who knows Ferentz from his days in Pittsburgh when they both grew up near each other). Ferentz is no stranger to Arena Football and is a solid ‘Wheelers fan.

"That bodes well for the future of the Hawkeye commitment," Foster added. "The connection with Jim Foster has helped give some guys some great opportunities and these guys have taken advantage of it," Dodge said.

With ¼ of the team from the University of Iowa, what better than a former Hawkeye on the coaching staff? Associate head coach and line coach Jon Roehlk was apart of the 1982 Hawkeyes team that made it to the Rose Bowl. Now he is coaching players who have come from the same playing background as him.

Even the front office features a few Hawkeyes. Vice President of Sales and Marketing Shawn Brown, Promotions Coordinator Jaci Soltis, Marketing Coordinator Heather Gomez and Merchandising/Special Projects Coordinator Susie Foster are all Hawkeye alumns.

As if the Hawkeye madness could stop. The Hawk blood even runs all the way down to the mascot. Chris Hammer is not only a Hawkeye himself, but is "Herky the Hawk" and doubles as "Steamwheeler Willie."

So for all of the Iowa fans who can't make the trip up to Iowa City, you need not to go far to see some (former) Hawkeyes in action, you only have to look to The MARK of the Quad Cities and the Quad City Steamwheelers.



arenafootball2 Stories from July 15, 2003


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Quad City Steamwheelers Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central