Vandervelde’s diverse talents gaining national attention

An ESPN camera crew set up an pile of lights before Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz's news conference Tuesday.

It was College GameDay in to interview senior guard Julian Vandervelde. The hook was Vandervelde's worldly ways. The story is supposed to run around 10 a.m. today.

The “worldly” likely include:

• Singing the national anthem before President Obama's visit to the UI campus in April.

• Playing with the Davenport Little League baseball team that competed in the 2000 World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

• His three appearances on the Big Ten all-academic team.

l His double major of English and religious studies with a minor in Japanese.

Ferentz flashed back to the 2006 Alamo Bowl when Vandervelde sang the theme to the “Phantom of the Opera” at a group setting.

“He sucked everybody in and just belted out the theme song from the ‘Phantom of the Opera,'” Ferentz said. ”That was good. That was kind of my first exposure to some of the diverse talents that he has. He's a delightful young guy, has been a very good football player for us, too, but a delightful young guy, and I'd venture to say probably has as diverse interests as anybody we've ever had come through the program.”

Vandervelde has an active mind. He has an NFL body and NFL strength. So, what's he going to be when he grows up?

“That is a good question,” Vandervelde said. “When am I going to grow up, I don't know?”

His first thought is teaching. Here, Japan or somewhere.

“It could be college, it could be high school, I want to teach something,” he said.