Former Hawkeye Kyle Calloway killed by train

Former Iowa offensive lineman Kyle Calloway was struck and killed by a train on Saturday while jogging near railroad tracks in Vail, Ariz.

Calloway, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was 29 years old.

According to a release by the Tucson Police Department, Calloway was jogging westbound on and off railroad tracks east of South Rita Road and East Old Vail Road when he was struck from behind by a westbound train.

'That was what he did for exercise,' said Kyle's father, Ed Calloway. 'He liked to run and it had rained the day before and the area where he ran was muddy, and so he was going back and forth across the tracks to get out of the mud.

'The longer version is at our old house, the train on the right side of the tracks went east, and the train on the left tracks went west. Our presumption is this train was on the opposite side that he was used to so he got on to the side so the train would have been coming at him from the front. We think that he got confused because the train somehow had been slopped over and was going in a different direction that he was used to. We don't know, we're just assuming that's what happened.'

Union Pacific Railroad is handling the entire investigation, Tucson News Now reported.

Calloway started 37 of his final 38 games for the Hawkeyes from 2007-2009, including 12 in 2009 for a team that finished 11-2, No. 7 in the final rankings and won the Orange Bowl. Calloway, who played primarily right tackle in 2009, was selected second-team all-Big Ten in both 2008 and 2009. He started at guard in the Orange Bowl and was invited to the East-West Shrine Game.

'We are all stunned and very saddened to hear of the tragic accident claiming the life of Kyle Calloway,' Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement. 'Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to Kyle's family and to those who knew him. He was a valued and respected member of our program.'

Calloway's former Iowa teammates expressed their condolences on Twitter:

Sad to hear about Kyle. He kicked ass on the field, he kicked my ass many times in practice and he made me better. Rest easy HawkJuly 5, 2016

Sad to hear about Kyle. He kicked ass on the field, he kicked my ass many times in practice and he made me better. Rest easy Hawk

— Pat Angerer (@PAngererUSA)

Deeply saddened to hear that my teammate Kyle Calloway has passed. Please send your prayers and love to his family and friends.July 5, 2016

Deeply saddened to hear that my teammate Kyle Calloway has passed. Please send your prayers and love to his family and friends.

— Marvin McNutt (@McNutt7wr)

In 2010, Calloway was drafted in the sixth round by the Buffalo Bills. After he was released, Calloway then moved to Arizona, where he closely followed the Iowa football program. He still had Iowa football decals on the front of his truck and an 'Iowa Alum' sticker on the back window, Ed Calloway said.

'He loved it,' Ed Calloway said of his son's time at Iowa. 'He loved it, and he loved his friends.'

As the son in an Air Force family, Calloway attended three high schools in four years. He finished his high school career at Belleville (Ill.) East.

Funeral arrangements are delayed because the family is donating Kyle's brain to study the potential effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com