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Alabama Star Sets Record Straight on Caitlin Clark As Best Athlete From Iowa

Kadyn Proctor made his thoughts on former Hawkeyes guard very clear.

Dan Lyons

Iowa native Kadyn Proctor is one of Alabama's top football players, but doesn't think he deserves to be in the discussion as greatest Iowa athlete after Caitlin Clark's career.
Iowa native Kadyn Proctor is one of Alabama's top football players, but doesn't think he deserves to be in the discussion as greatest Iowa athlete after Caitlin Clark's career. / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor was a second-team All-SEC performer a year ago, and could be in the discussion as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft if things break the right way.

Just don't tell him that he's the greatest athlete out of Iowa.

The Des Moines native shut that talk down on Wednesday at SEC media days, offering some praise for Caitlin Clark in the process.

"There's talks about who's the best athlete to come out of Iowa and I don't want anybody to say my name. I want them to say Caitlin Clark. Because the things that I've seen her do is crazy. And that's probably—I want to say that's the best basketball player that I've seen, honestly."

Proctor had the chance to see Clark light it up in person during his brief stint with Iowa in the spring of 2024. Proctor had been a Hawkeyes commit but flipped his commitment to Nick Saban and Alabama late in 2022. Following Saban's retirement in Jan. 2024, he transferred to his home state program, but ultimately returned to Alabama just a few months later.

Now, Proctor is representing Kalen DeBoer's program in Atlanta. The sky is the limit for one of the best athletes to ever come out of Iowa. Just don't put him in the conversation with Clark, he doesn't think he's earned that yet.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.

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