ISU's Dagel relishing final moments

AMES — Brock Dagel made his way through the inflated tunnel that led into Jack Trice Stadium for the last time in his Iowa State uniform.

Dagel reached the end of the opening of the tunnel where he met Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads. The emotions started to hit the fifth-year senior as he grasped his coach's hand, knowing it would be the last time he would take the field in his home venue.

Since his season-ending knee surgery last season, Dagel has rehabbed and worked his way back to being a key component of the ISU offensive line that has helped produce a 1,000-yard rusher. So when Rhoads leaned into his ear and gave him words of encouragement before that final home game, everything snapped into perspective.

'He said, 'You wanted the surgery so you could have a great senior year, so go have a great senior game,'' Dagel said. 'That just kind of brought back all the struggles of injuries and made me realize he's been there for me my whole time.'

Rhoads is on the precipice of leading Iowa State football onto the field for the final time Saturday with emotions on the ISU sidelines sure to be running high. As a true player's coach, Rhoads' impending departure hasn't been easy for players to swallow.

'I think it's going to be kind of like the senior game,' a choked up Dagel said. 'It's probably not going to hit me until the end. I'm expecting it to be pretty overwhelming.'

Like Dagel, a high number of other Cyclones players were lightly recruited or started as walk-ons. In his seven-year tenure Rhoads awarded 20 walk-ons a scholarship, most recently running back Trever Ryen in September.

Fan favorite linebacker Levi Peters, who received a scholarship last December, said Rhoads' firing could be a distraction for the team, but he hasn't seen that yet. The singular focus is studying and preparing for West Virginia.

'Right now we're coming together knowing that this is the last time we're going to play for Coach Rhoads and our position coaches,' Peters said. 'We really want to end the season well for the seniors, too. We're rallying together. We're staying a brotherhood and we're going to practice hard all week and prepare just like any other week.'

After Iowa State beat Texas, 24-0, in October, Rhoads made comments at his post game news conference that the Cyclones shouldn't beat the Longhorns. Iowa State is forced to find ways to recruit against the likes of Texas and Oklahoma and compete in a southern-based conference that retains the high-caliber athletes.

Steep challenges have, and always will, exist for Iowa State when it comes to sustained success in football. But for Rhoads and his staff — even through the losses — the reward has been to mold lesser-recruited athletes into Big 12 caliber players.

'To take kids they've rejected and teach them to play successfully at this level and brought them in and loved them and gave them an opportunity,' Rhoads said. 'They've given back to us a great amount.'

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