King of interceptions

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., - Thirteen games that first season. Then the first five games of his sophomore season. No interceptions.

Desmond King, the cornerback who picked off a Michigan prep record 29 interceptions at East English Village High School, his first 18 games at Iowa with zero interceptions. Nearly a season and half, the kid who came to Iowa with 29 interceptions as a high schooler had zero.

Now, it just seems as if it's all interceptions.

'Once I broke the cherry, catching that first interception, it felt good,” the junior said. 'You just have to play the ball whenever you can and take that advantage.”

It's all interceptions for King now. In the Hawkeyes' 35-27 victory Saturday over Indiana, King's fourth-quarter pick of a Nate Sudfeld pass was his eighth this season, tying Iowa's season record of eight interceptions. King has who knows how many games now to pass Lou King (1981) and Nile Kinnick (1939).

King knows all about Kinnick, the Heisman winner who Iowa's stadium is named after. He knows this is hallowed ground.

'It means a lot to me,” said King, who entered Saturday's game leading the Big Ten and tied for the national lead in interceptions. 'Just being up there with one of the greats, with his name on the stadium. It's a privilege to be up there and have that next to my name.”

Coincidentally, King's first interception came against Indiana and Sudfeld at Kinnick Stadium last season. In his last 17 games, King has 11 interceptions.

King has grown by leaps and bounds since he was thrust into the starting lineup in his first game as a true freshman in 2013.

In reference to King and middle linebacker Josey Jewell, Ferentz talked about the word 'instincts.”

'Instincts is an overused word,” he said. 'A lot of times, I think it's just because guys prepare and they really are serious about what they're doing.”

Extra work, extra video study, King realized the value in that and bought in with his entire checkbook.

'I had chances my freshman year, but I didn't play the ball like I am now,” he said. 'That's something I've worked on, ball skills. Throwing the ball in the air and just going up to get the ball whenever I can, that's showing.”

How much video study does King do? Listen up, young football players.

'I watch film everyday, whenever I can,” he said. 'Even on our off days. The defensive backs, the whole defense, we come together in the film room and watch film. It really helps us and gives us an advantage on Saturdays.”

King said the growth he's made in seeing the game since jumping in against Northern Illinois as a true freshman in 2013 is off the charts.

'It's tremendously shot up to a whole other level,” he said. 'As a freshman, I didn't know anything. I had a lot to study and learn, learning the defense. I was just trying to get my feet wet and start focusing on the ball. It wasn't there for me at the time, but then my sophomore year, it came. I didn't have the season I thought, but this year, it's taken off to a high level.”

Some of this is what you're born with. Saturday's interception was a leaping grab along the Iowa sideline, with King getting one foot down before tumbling out of bounds. All season, King has shown an amazing gift for turning, finding and tracking the football at top speed.

That's just a natural element and he's taking full advantage.

'It's really just . . . God's gift,” King said.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com