Bender, Coffman, DeVries, Olejniczak among Hall of Fame honorees

From the Iowa High School Athletic Association

Members of the 2012 Iowa High School Athletic Association Football Players Hall of Fame Class have been released.

Those who will be honored at the halftime of the Class 4A Championship game on Friday, Nov. 16 follow with their graduation year.

Carey Bender, Marion (1990); Chris Coffman, Sigourney-Keota (1992); Jared DeVries, Aplington-Parkersburg (1994); Justin Hartwig, Valley, West Des Moines (1997); Jason Olejniczak, Decorah (1989); Rollie Wiebers, Denison (1975).

Each of the honored players had outstanding prep careers and played college football, with DeVries and Hartwig having strong NFL careers. All of them have found a way to give back to the game with administrative, coaching or support of high school programs.

A brief sketch of each of the players follows:

Carey Bender, Marion - An All-State running back for the Indians he was one of the leading ground gainers in Class 3A. The "master of the cut-back" he starred at Coe College, where he was an All-American, led the nation in rushing and was the 1994 winner of the Gagliardi Trophy (Division III's equivalent of the Heisman).

Chris Coffman, Sigourney-Keota - He was an outstanding rusher and defensive player with All-State honors for Sigourney and Sigourney-Keota. He racked up career totals of 5,096 rushing yards, 74 touchdowns and 490 points, each in the top three in Class 2A when he graduated. He went on to contribute to Central College's outstanding program. He is presently the head baseball coach and an assistant in football at Grinnell High School.

Jared DeVries, Aplington-Parkersburg - A two-time All-State prep and an Elite All-Stater in 1993, he led the Falcons into the playoff semifinals twice and the 1993 1A title. He was an outstanding running back and linebacker with 81 career TDs and 545 points still ranking ninth on the state's all-time best charts. He had a brilliant career at the University of Iowa being first team All Big 10 three times and a consensus All-American as a senior. He played 11 years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. Currently helps with the Clear Lake football program.

Justin Hartwig, Valley, WDM - A gifted three sport athlete he earned All-State honors as a linemen while leading the Tigers into the playoffs his junior and senior seasons. He was a three-year starter in the offensive line for Kansas University and an All-Big 12 selection his senior year. Was drafted by the Tennessee Titans and also played for the Carolina Panthers and the Pittsburg Steelers, where he was a member of their 2009 Super Bowl Champions.

Jason Olejniczak, Decorah - A quarterback and defensive back, he was a two-time all-State selection for the Vikings, which won back-to-back state championships (1987-1988) with him as the signal caller. He amassed over 4,000 yards total offense in those two seasons, while also leading the team in tackles. He played four seasons at the University of Iowa and was a four time All Big 10 Academic selection. He is currently the head football coach at Perry High School.

Rollie Wiebers - An all-purpose quarterback he could run as well as pass. His final three seasons (19-8) he helped the Monarchs to more wins than they had the previous five years. They missed the playoffs after an 8-1 campaign his senior season. He was special mention all-state at a time when all-classes were considered as one in the selections. At Buena Vista he had a record setting career and is a member of their hall of fame. He presently is the Superintendent of Schools at Charter Oak-Ute.