Inside The Hawkeyes

Former Iowa Hawkeyes Star Has NFL Catch of the Year Highlight

A former Iowa Hawkeyes star came through with an NFL Catch of the Year style highlight.
Evan Massey|
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) looks for yards against Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) in the first quarter against in the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) looks for yards against Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) in the first quarter against in the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes have had a few former stars playing in the NFL playoffs. One of them is none other than Detroit Lions' young star tight end Sam LaPorta.

After bursting onto the scene in the NFL during his rookie season, LaPorta has had a much quieter year in 2024. He has still been productive, but he did not produce the same gaudy numbers that he had in 2023.

When all was said and done, LaPorta ended up catching 60 passes for 726 yards and seven touchdowns while playing in 16 games. Those numbers are nothing to be down about.

Back in his rookie season in 2023, he racked up 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games.

That being said, LaPorta came through with an NFL "Catch of the Year" candidate highlight play in the Lions' season-ending loss against the Washington Commanders.

Take a look at the ridiculous touchdown catch for yourself:

Here is another angle of the catch that shows even more detail about how difficult the catch was to make:

Unfortunately, LaPorta's second NFL season has come to an end. However, he has made Iowa very proud of him throughout his first two years with Detroit.

During his time with the Hawkeyes, LaPorta ended up playing for four years with the program. He racked up a total of 153 receptions for 1,786 yards and five touchdowns. Iowa fans knew he had NFL talent, but no one could have predicted just how much success he would have in two seasons.

More big plays and big seasons are in store for LaPorta in the future. He is the real deal and will continue to make the Hawkeyes' faithful proud at the NFL level.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.

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