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Micah Hyde returns to Iowa this weekend to receive ANF Wall of Fame recognition
The former Hawkeye defensive back was an All-Big Ten defensive back before an 11-year NFL career.
Oct. 15, 2025 4:20 pm
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IOWA CITY — Micah Hyde was simply excited to get a phone call from Hawkeye radio play-by-play broadcaster Gary Dolphin. He didn’t realize why Dolphin wanted to make the call until after Hyde already picked up the phone.
“Anytime you get Dolph to want to call you or hit you up, you‘ve got to answer that,” Hyde said. “I mean he’s the voice of Iowa. And so as soon as I hear his voice (I) smile, I was excited already.”
The conversation with Dolphin let Hyde know he’d be the 13th former Hawkeye to receive the America Needs Farmers (ANF) Wall of Fame honor, and he’ll receive the honor during Iowa football’s game against Penn State.
“To hear that I would be accepting the award was awesome,” Hyde said. “I can't really put it into words. I'm just honored.”
Hyde (2009-12) committed to Iowa football after playing high school in Fostoria, Ohio, a small town with just over 13,000 people. He spent his early days helping with different projects, from removing boulders in fields for tractors and bale hay and straw to cleaning up after different farm animals. Sometimes it was a solo project, and other times he’d bring his friends along.
The ANF Wall of Fame recognizes former Hawkeye players who display characteristics of an Iowan farmer, including tenacity and work ethic. ANF was started by former Iowa head coach Hayden Fry as a means to help farmers during the 1980s Farm Crisis.
“Micah is kind of one of our stories, if you will,” Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “One of the good stories. I know it's not the main story in football. Everybody cares about wins and losses, but it will be great to have Micah back. I think he's a tremendous selection for that award.”
Hyde was one of three true freshmen to play for Iowa in 2009, and finished his career with 240 career tackles, eight interceptions and represented Iowa in the East West Shrine game. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round in 2013 as the No. 137 pick, spending four years in Wisconsin before joining the Buffalo Bills in 2017.
He retired from the NFL in February as a Pro Bowl player (2017) and a captain for the Bills.
Hyde, now living in San Diego with his family, said even after growing up and helping on a farm, it was a different experience at Iowa. His teammates connected to working on a farm more, and it allowed him to understand why the award now means so much to him today.
“You understand how significant the farming world is in Iowa, but also the University of Iowa, because a lot of your teammates grew up in that world,” Hyde said. “The generations after generations of farmers and stuff like that. So I knew how important it was.”
The former Hawkeye will accept the award with his family in Iowa City Saturday night, getting the chance to visit his former head coach and the place he called home for four years.
And celebrate an achievement that nearly brought the former pro to tears.
“It's just kind of come off full circle,” he said. “Makes me want to take my 5-year-old son right now and leave San Diego and go back to Ohio, put them on the farm ... because in 20, 30, years you might be receiving an award because of the hard work you put in.”
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