A glorious career recognized: Iowa's Larry Station elected to College Football of Fame

Larry Station may have been the best defensive player in University of Iowa football history.

"In my entire coaching career, he was probably the best defensive player I had the privilege to work with,” said his Iowa head coach, Hayden Fry.

“He could anticipate where the ball was going better than any linebacker I was ever associated with. He combined superior mental and athletic skills to become the best at his position."

Thursday, Station became the ninth former Iowa player to be elected into the College Football Hall of Fame, and just the second Hawkeye defensive player.

He is deserving and much more. He is one of just two Hawkeyes to be a first-team All-America twice (Calvin Jones is the other). He was also an Academic All-America.

He is the only Hawkeye to lead the team in tackling for four years, with a career-total of 492. Iowa was 35-13-1 during Station's career, from 1982 to 1985.

He was 5-foot-11 and 227 pounds, not huge for a linebacker. But oh, how he could play the game.

"He was extremely intense," said Hap Peterson, a first-team All-Big Ten nose guard for Iowa in 1985. "Larry took everything seriously, whether it was his grades or every day at practice.

"Every day at practice it was 'Game on' for Larry. He practiced exactly the way he played. He went at his schoolwork the same way he practiced football."

Focus and preparation are recrurring themes from those who speak about Station with authority.

Dan McCarney, now an assistant head coach at Florida, was a defensive coach at Iowa during Station's career there. When I told him Thursday that Station was a Hall of Famer, his immediate reaction was "Fantastic!"

"The focus and determination and maturity, along with the tremendous God-given talent -- it's about as good as I've ever been around," McCarney said.

"I've never been around a linebacker -- and Barry Alvarez (the former Iowa assistant coach and Wisconsin head coach) would say the same thing -- who spent so much time on and off the field studying opponents."

 The signature play in Station's career came in the signature win in Fry's tenure at Iowa, the 12-10 decision over Michigan in the 1985 battle of the top-ranked Hawkeyes and No. 2 Wolverines.

Michigan had a 10-9 lead and the ball late in the fourth quarter, and was essentially a first-down from putting a vice grip on the win. On 3rd-and-4, Station dropped running back Jamie Morris for a 2-yard loss.

The Wolverines punted, Iowa moved the ball 66 yards in a hurry, and Rob Houghtlin kicked a 29-yard, last-second field goal for the Hawkeyes' win of all wins.

It was assumed by many that Station's tackle came off a stunt or a blitz. No. It was just Station's instant reaction to how the play developed.

The breakthrough for Iowa under Fry came in 1981 when the Hawkeyes shared the Big Ten title and went to the Rose Bowl.

But a second breakthrough came shortly after when prized recruit Station signed with the Hawkeyes. It caught everyone's attention when an Omaha standout was pulled away from the Nebraska Cornhuskers juggernaut.

Several months later, Station was leading Iowa in tackles as a true freshman.

"He had a maturity level coming out of high school that you very rarely see," said McCarney. "It was like Cael Sanderson being undefeated in wrestling as a freshman. You just don't see it.

"For four years, whenever Larry Station wasn't in a drill, he would stand behind the defense and walk through it or go half-speed, working on his reads and steps.

"The first time I saw him do that, it was like 'What the hell is he doing?' But he was so into it, into getting an edge, study opponents, knowing everything inside and out."

Said Peterson, a terrific player himself: "If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably try to do things a little more like he did it.

"He was a student of the game. He probably studied film more than anybody on our defense."

Iowa had five players picked in the 1986 NFL draft. Chuck Long, Ronnie Harmon and Mike Haight were first-rounders. Devon Mitchell went in the fourth round. Station was taken in the 11th.

He was tiny by NFL linebacker standards, but he also had a back injury that curtailed his pro career, which lasted only seven games with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But as a collegian, Station was the black-and-gold standard, a future College Football Hall of Fame member.

"He's very justly deserving of that honor," Peterson said.

I could find no video of Station to share with you. But for those wanting the dramatic finish of that Michigan-Iowa game in 1985, here's this:

Iowa 12, Michigan 10