Iowa running back Kamari Moulton embodies ‘Hulk’ nickname in football, life

IOWA CITY — Kamari Moulton’s nickname since childhood has been the “Hulk.”

Yes, Moulton — officially listed as the shortest player on Iowa’s offense at 5-foot-9 — has the nickname of the massive, green, monstrous superhero.

Look past Moulton’s relatively short stature and slender frame, however, and the Iowa running back’s nickname is apropos both on the football field and generally in life.

“He’s just one of those kids that were tough mentally, tough physically,” said Matt DuBuc, Moulton’s high school coach at Cardinal Gibbons in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “He lived that name, especially as a running back.”

Moulton’s coaches and teammates at Iowa have quickly noticed his on-field Hulk-esque attributes in the year since the redshirt freshman arrived on campus.

Moulton, his veteran fellow running back Leshon Williams said, is “actually physical for the little dude that he is.”

“He’s a tough runner,” Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts similarly said. “He’s a bit of a slight-frame kid. You probably wouldn’t expect him to run as physically as he does, but he’s a tough runner.”

No physical run in practice or a game can match the mental toughness Moulton has needed to build over the last four years.

His mother and both of his grandmothers died from COVID-19 in 2021 when he was his junior year of high school.

“Getting through that was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Moulton said.

His mother died at the age of 38 on Nov. 11, a mere 33 days after he lost his maternal grandmother

“The first day, I really didn’t even know how to feel because a lot of people don’t even go through traumas like that,” Moulton said. “So you don’t even know who to call to fall on. But I just had so much family and family friends there supporting me and knowing that I could get through it. Their support really helped me through hard times.”

DuBuc told Moulton to “take whatever time you need to get right.” Moulton did not take long, though, before returning to the football field.

“He took a day, I think,” DuBuc said, before returning to practice.

“I actually went to school the next day,” Moulton said. “I know it’s crazy. I didn’t know what to think, but that’s just how I’m wired.”

Football helped Moulton cope with the unfathomable loss in his family. After all, “you can hit people for free in football.”

Moulton had a game the day before his mother’s funeral. Not only did he play, he racked up 137 rushing yards on 17 carries to help Cardinal Gibbons erase a 20-point halftime deficit and advance in the playoffs.

“The kid went through some severe adversity and never stopped believing in his talent,” DuBuc said.

Two games later (and about a month after his mother’s death), Moulton had 173 yards on 28 carries in Cardinal Gibbons’ state championship victory over Cocoa Beach. Moulton had two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cap off the 21-19 win.

“It was really a surreal moment,” Moulton said. “It really didn’t feel like I was there.”

He had 90 or more rushing yards and at least one touchdown in each of Cardinal Gibbons’ 2021 postseason games. He totaled 511 rushing yards on 61 carries — that’s 7.1 yards per carry — in the four playoff games, according to stats on MaxPreps.

“That says a lot about a young man’s character and their resolve to deal with that and still go on and be out there for their teammates,” Betts said.

One would not suspect Moulton has gone through all the personal adversity that he has experienced in the last four years from his seemingly always-positive demeanor. Head strength coach Raimond Braithwaite said Moulton “always has a smile on his face,” and he is not the only staff member who has taken note.

“It’s the infectious smile, the personality — it seems like the kid never has a bad day,” Betts said. “I’m sure he does, but his personality doesn’t give you that impression. … He enjoys life and enjoys playing football.”

That’s not to say that Moulton has moved past the adversity. It’s “something you always think about.”

“You always carry that burden,” Moulton said. “It’s hard sometimes. … Feelings will just rush out any time. But it really drives me, and what I’m doing now is with a purpose.”

But Moulton believes “my bad days shouldn’t affect anybody else.”

“Bringing positive energy is just the right thing to do,” Moulton said. “And if you bring positive energy, it’s always going to fall back on you.”

Kamari Moulton’s ascent at Iowa

Moulton had 27 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman at Iowa. He saw action in four games — the limit while still using his redshirt year. The two touchdowns were in Iowa’s Week 3 win over Western Michigan.

“It was a great experience, especially just to get my feet wet as a freshman,” Moulton said, looking back at the Western Michigan game. “Seeing that, what I’m able to do — it really boosted my confidence.”

When Williams was out with an injury during Iowa’s open spring practice, Moulton split the first-team reps with Kaleb Johnson. He also got first-team reps in the open fall practice when Williams was again out with an injury.

“Responsible kid, works hard, a lot of the intangible things that we look for in a player,” Betts said. “So I think that’s why you probably keep hearing his name. And aside from that, he’s just very athletic and a good running back.”

Betts sees Moulton’s skills in the passing game as an area for the redshirt freshman to take the next step as a Big Ten running back.

“Catching the ball, running routes,” Betts said. “To me, the more you can do as a tailback aside from just getting a handoff makes you more invaluable and makes you dangerous. And it makes the offense more dangerous.”

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Moulton is one of many talented running backs on the Hawkeyes’ 2024 roster. Williams was sixth in the Big Ten in rushing yards last season. Kaleb Johnson was a 2022 all-Big Ten honorable mention. Jaziun Patterson has shown flashes of his potential, too.

Betts is hesitant to make any definitive statements about how Moulton will fit in with this year’s running back rotation given that it is a “deep room” and “guys can emerge or move down at any moment based on the competition.”

“But if I had a crystal ball, I think he’ll be involved,” Betts said of Moulton.

Embracing all aspects of Iowa

Away from the football field, Moulton has embraced Iowa as his college home.

He was one of four Hawkeye football players to participate in the Big Ten’s “Big Life Series” event at Kroul Farms in Mount Vernon as athletes from Iowa and 15 other schools learned about the agriculture industry. The experience included winning a relay race with teammate Kenneth Merrieweather.

“My job was to carry like a whole bucket of grain and feed the cows,” Moulton said.

It made for an overall “fun” experience despite the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native’s shortcomings with the cows.

“The cows ran away because they see me coming,” Moulton said with a laugh.

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Whether it be bringing his Hulk-style running to the football field or going on adventures like the Big Ten agricultural experience, Moulton knows his late mother would be proud.

“I think she would love what’s going on,” Moulton said. “She always wanted me to explore and see something new. So me choosing Iowa, that was kind of like for her in a sense — a way of me seeing somewhere new and going to a different place.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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