2 Former Iowa Hawkeyes Legends Are on Hall of Fame Ballot

A pair of Iowa Hawkeyes legends have found themselves on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot.

Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Iowa Hawkeyes helmets prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes aren't quite the Ohio State Buckeyes or the Alabama Crimson Tide when it comes to top-tier talent, but they have certainly been an impressive college football program for decades.

As a matter of fact, two former Iowa stars — quarterback Brad Banks and tight end Dallas Clark — have now found themselves on the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, which features 79 names overall.

Banks and Clark actually played together in the early 2000s. The former transferred to Iowa in 2001 and spent two seasons with the Hawkeyes, finishing second in Heisman Trophy voting in the latter campaign after throwing for 2,573 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions while also rushing for 423 yards and five scores.

Banks never actually played in the NFL, as he went undrafted in 2003.

Meanwhile, Clark spent four years at Iowa City between 1999 and 2002, establishing himself as one of the top tight ends in the nation over the course of his final two campaigns with the school. He earned All-American honors in 2002, hauling in 43 receptions for 742 yards and four touchdowns.

Clark was then selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 24th overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft and enjoyed a long, successful professional career, making a Pro Bowl as well as notching a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2009 after finishing with 100 catches for 1,106 yards and 10 scores.

The Sioux Falls, S.D. native spent nine seasons with the Colts and also had brief stops with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens before retiring after 2013.

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