Connecticut prep signs on to play Hawkeye football

Completing a whirlwind courtship, Dean Tsopanides has signed to play football at the University of Iowa, according to a report on the Torrington (Conn.) Register Citizen website.

A recent high school graduate in Torrington, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound defensive end had planned to play a year of prep football at Milford Academy to enhance his recruiting exposure. But, according to the Register Citizen, that changed last week when Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe saw Tsopanides during a four-day combine at Milford.

“I did really well there,” Tsopanides told the Register Citizen. “(O'Keefe) saw me play, asked for my highlight tape and then I got an invitation to go visit the campus.”

Tsopanides and his father were in Iowa City Tuesday. A day later, Tsopanides committed to the Hawkeyes and signed on for a full scholarship, the newspaper reported.

“It's an honor,” Tsopanides told the newspaper. “Simply put, one word: it's an honor.”

Torrington Coach Dan Dunaj said he received a call from O'Keefe to find out things the staff couldn't see in game tape.

“(O'Keefe) wanted to know what kind of person he was, whether he had ever gotten into any trouble,” Dunaj said. “I told him the truth. He's one of the hardest working kids I've ever coached.”

An all-state football player, Tsopanides also was a state champion wrestler at 215 pounds last winter.