Former Iowa Star Cooper DeJean Revisits Controversial Fair Catch Call

To this day, former Iowa Hawkeyes star Cooper DeJean still thinks about the invalid fair catch that cost him a punt return touchdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2023.

He appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to discuss a ton of topics, Iowa included. After giving the team rave reviews for the way head coach Kirk Ferentz runs the organization, DeJean was forced to revisit a play that changed Iowa's entire season.

The infamous "invalid fair catch" call is still brought up time and time again from the Hawkeyes faithful. It's a call no one was familiar with at the time, but now it's a play that'll keep DeJean in Hawkeyes history forever.

DeJean didn't hold back when revisiting the past and the McAfee crew was hyping him up the entire time. Winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles is one thing, but that still hasn't erased this moment from his mind.

Cooper DeJean Revisits The Infamous Call

"I wasn't waving for a fair catch..

I had never seen the invalid fair catch called before that day" ~ @cooperdejean #PMSLive https://t.co/t9uA9C2gPk pic.twitter.com/AQto7DJaUV
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 4, 2026

"Still makes me sick to this day," DeJean told McAfee.

The analyst told DeJean not to wave for a fair catch and it's as simple as that, but DeJean wasn't having it.

"I wasn't waving for a fair catch, unfortunately. And that's not what they were even reviewing the play for. So, I don't know. They were seeing if I stepped out of bounds and then they came back with the, I've never heard of the invalid fair catch call before, if I'm being honest, before that day."

After airing the footage of that play, everyone who saw it for the first time was in agreement that DeJean did nothing wrong. It's not like Iowa can go back in time, but that was a huge call that didn't go their way, and Hawkeyes fans have a right to still be upset about it.

Cooper DeJean Hypes This Iowa Team

Cooper DeJean Iow — Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean speaks to reporters after a NCAA football game against Nevada, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I'm excited for the Iowa team now. The boys are playing some ball. I'll give it to Indiana, we'll see if they can keep it going. Yeah, we're coming," DeJean said.

It seemed like DeJean was going to say a little extra about the Hoosiers but he held back. Most likely, he would've been referring to Iowa having them on the ropes prior to quarterback Mark Gronowski going down with an injury.

Either way, Iowa is here to say. Kirk Ferentz isn't going anywhere, and Iowa has a chance to continue to creep into the upper echelon of the B1G.

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