Jack Koerner pursues NFL career, forgoes sixth season at Iowa

IOWA CITY — Iowa safety Jack Koerner is moving on to pursue an NFL career, he announced Sunday evening.

Koerner, a former walk-on who recorded five interceptions over his last two seasons, will be pursuing his “dream of playing on Sundays,” he said in a thank-you tweet.

“I’ve made memories with my brothers I will cherish for the rest of my life while living out a childhood dream every single day,” Koerner wrote in the tweet. “I am forever thankful for the opportunity to wear the black and gold and for all the incredible relationships I’ve made along the way.”

Koerner, who redshirted in 2017, had the option to spend a sixth year in Iowa City because of the added year of eligibility for COVID-19.

The Hawkeyes will have reinforcements coming soon at the safety position. Five-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa is widely considered the top safety in the 2022 recruiting class, and he’ll be enrolling at Iowa for the spring semester.

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