Rose Bowl brings back former Hawkeyes and their memories

LOS ANGELES — Five former University of Iowa football players, from 1954 to 2000, all of whom have enduring ties to the Hawkeyes program.

Three played in Rose Bowls. Four were at Wednesday's Hawkeye Huddle at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The fifth, Ted Velicer, was reached by phone:

Don Suchy, lettered at Iowa from 1954-56:

He played on the 1956 team that beat Oregon State in the Jan. 1, 1957 Rose Bowl, 35-19.

'I was a senior co-captain, center and middle linebacker.

'Playing in the Rose Bowl was a thrill. I can't believe the numbers of people from Iowa even back then that wanted to come. There were 20-some people who came by train to watch me play.

'(Coach Forest) Evashevski told us to forget all the flutter. He said you're not going to California to be in the movies. Keep concentrating on why we're here.

'They gave us eight Oldsmobiles to use, but nobody but seniors could drive them. We had two-a-day practices. We were too tired at the end of the day to go out. The guys didn't know where to go, anyway.

'The number one day in my life was when I got married. Number two was being in the middle of the Rose Bowl for the coin toss, with 100,000-plus people there and 20 million watching on TV.

'But we weren't scared. We'd played at Michigan and Ohio State, and those are big stadiums.

'I remember watching a game at Iowa for 25 cents in the north bleachers. I thought to myself 'Someday, if I could just touch that grass. It looks so beautiful.' '

Anthony Herron, lettered from 1997-2000

'I work for the Pac-12 Network. I'm a studio host and game analyst.

'I'll say this about (Stanford Coach) David Shaw and (Iowa's) Kirk Ferentz, and I've been saying it for a few years now: Their demeanor, the way they treat players, the mentality how they go about each day and grind trying to be great at what they do — David is seemingly a younger version of Kirk.

'Both of them took over for guys who left a mark (Jim Harbaugh, Hayden Fry). They're two programs I talk about very glowingly.

'My senior year (Ferentz's second season at Iowa as head coach), I started to see us turn the corner. My junior year, we were all a little scarred. When the hire was made, most of us were not familiar with Kirk. A lot of guys left by choice. Some were kicked off the team, some flunked out.

'But as we got into my senior year in 2000, something started clicking. It was fun to be a part of that, and it's fun to still have Kirk on occasion mention us as building blocks that were laid there.'

Nick Bell, lettered from 1988-90

Bell then played three seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders. He was one of over 5,000 litigants that filed class-action lawsuits against the NFL over concussion-related brain injuries. In 2013, the NFL reached a tentative $765 million settlement with its 18,000 retired players.

Bell weighed 435 pounds several years ago, and suffered from depression, sleep apnea and mood swings. He has said he doesn't remember how many concussions he suffered playing football.

He was at the Huddle Wednesday, and went on stage to be introduced with other former Hawkeye lettermen.

'I live in Orange County. The sun showed up on Christmas morning for me when Iowa got invited to the Rose Bowl. I'm so happy. I've been waiting for this for 25 years, and I believe they'll win the game.

'Do I remember the Rose Bowl I played in? I had two touchdowns and 149 (total) yards.

'I haven't been back to a game in Iowa City yet. Coach Ferentz is an excellent coach, but cold weather doesn't sit well with me and flying doesn't, either. I don't sit well for a long period of time.

'I've had multiple injuries. I have severe nerve damage in my back. I don't need sympathy. I just want to be self-reliant.'

Malcolm Christie, lettered in 1987

'I live here in Los Angeles. I was the West Coast developmental director for the United College Negro Fund.

'No African-American association has ever honored Hayden Fry. He brought the first black player to the Southwest Conference. He got death-threats and had to wear a bulletproof vest.

'So I want to put together an endowment for kids in Hayden Fry's name for kids of color to one of 38 historically black colleges or SMU, North Texas or Iowa (the three schools where Fry was head coach).

'I want to impact peoples' lives, because he did that. Coach Fry made an impact. As a human being, he decided what was important. What I've taken away from him is I always want to do what's important and be a good man at the end of the day.'

Ted Velicer, lettered from 1989-1992

'Relatives and friends remind me I was the last Iowa player to score in a Rose Bowl.

'It was 2-point conversion passing play. Matt Rodgers threw it. A (Washington) defensive lineman tipped it. I saw it up in the air, grabbed it, and ran 10 yards into the end zone.

'I lived in Seattle for a while after college, and was in Europe for a year. I moved back home to Green Bay and I'm a salesman for a metal fabrication company.

'I remember the Rose Bowl like it was yesterday. It's a very fond memory for me even though we lost. I can say I was in a Rose Bowl and played in it. Not many players can say that.'