UNI's big man loves life out of spotlight

By Nancy Justis, correspondent

CEDAR FALLS - Jay Teply is a big man on campus. Literally.

The University of Northern Iowa's 6-7, 330-pound starting offensive tackle says his size was noticeable beginning as early as kindergarten.

“I've always been taller than everybody else since about kindergarte

n,” he said, “but from third or fourth grade I started putting weight on faster than everybody else. I just kept getting bigger and bigger.”

Growing up in Cedar Rapids, he began his athletic career as a basketball player.

“I was the youngest age you could possibly be and they told me I would be playing in the older group because I was heavier than everybody else,” Teply said. “When I was a fifth grader I was playing with the seventh graders. I kept playing basketball through middle and high school.”

He was good enough to earn second team all-state honors at Xavier High School. Playing center, of course, he averaged 21 points and 13 rebounds.

“I loved basketball growing up,” Teply said. “Basketball is a fun sport to play because it's an easier sport to play. Not high contact. Being this big made it easy for me. I didn't have to be that great at it to be successful. I really wasn't that great, I was just big.

“I've loved football since the day I played it. It's a different kind of love. I always knew I wanted to play it in college.”

In middle and high school he played on both sides of the ball.

“If you're big, you're going to be big on defense because it takes so much to block you,” he said. “But I knew from day one that if I played in college it would never be defense because, number one, I'm not that good at it. I just took up space, so I always knew offense was in my future.

“I actually enjoy offense more where you score the points. (Playing in the offensive line there's) no glory. That's definitely fine with me.”

Teply never has minded the lack of stardom.

“In basketball I started getting attention,” he said. “It feels good but in football it's kind of nice to hide out behind the scenes and not be in the spotlight. When your running backs compliment you in the paper, it's just as good as getting an interview. My running backs have always been really good at it. I don't need my name in the paper to be proud. If UNI scores higher than the opponent, then I'm happy.”

The coaching staff tried Teply out at guard during spring ball. They moved him back to tackle this fall.

“I've been playing football close to 15 years and I played guard for one year, the very first year I played,” he said. “This spring was a rough transition for me but if that's where the coaches think I'll have success, that's where I'll play. I've always been taught to do what the coach says. That's for the best interest of the team.”

Teply says UNI always was kind of under the radar for him. He went to both the Iowa and Iowa State camps hoping the participation would spark some interest in him. His father attended ISU. UNI, however, was the only school he officially visited.

“Recruiting was a short process,” he said. “Soon after my senior year was over UNI came down and talked with me. One night I got invited to come here for a visit and I told them I couldn't because my sister had something down at Indian Hills (Community College) that I wanted to go to.

“My (high school) head coach called me up and said ‘don't turn this down'. I called (UNI) back. I loved the campus. It wasn't a far distance from home. I loved its success. That night sitting in my hotel room I told my mom I really liked this place and I would love to play here.”

Teply, a preseason all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection, and his family are very close. Neither his father or mother miss a game, home or away. His older sister, Amanda, is “my biggest fan. She always wears one of my jerseys to the games. If she can't get to a game, she's heartbroken.”

He says he's really surprised how close he and his teammates are this season.

“This summer, we had some of the hardest workouts we've ever gone through,” he said. “There were a lot of guys here. We grew together. It's really crazy how close we are. During games and stuff you have guys that bicker but this year we've been in tough spots and I never once have seen an ounce of negativity from anyone.”

UNI offensive line coach Rick Nelson said “Jay is a very hard worker on and off the field. As good as a football player Jay is, he is even a better man. He is a quiet leader. He is not vocal but is very respected by his teammates. The NFL is taking a good, hard look at him. He fills a door way up, for sure.”