The 5 Best Iowa NFL Players of All Time

Chuck Long's Iowa career culminated in a nationally celebrated 1985 season. He won the Davey O'Brien Award, finished second to Bo Jackson in Heisman voting, and led the Hawkeyes to a number-one ranking. His résumé also included a drive that set up a last-second field goal to beat Michigan. He left Iowa holding nearly every major passing record in school history.

Long's ranking case joins career achievement to a clearly defined peak. The school records show the breadth of his contribution, while the quarterback award and Heisman finish establish his national standing. Iowa's rise to the top of the rankings supplies the team context, making his legacy about more than passing totals or a single memorable late-game drive.

Robert Gallery arrived at Iowa as a tight end and developed into an award-winning offensive tackle. He anchored a line that helped the Hawkeyes claim a share of the 2002 Big Ten title, then won the Outland Trophy and earned unanimous All-America honors in 2003. His college career led to selection second overall in the 2004 draft.

Gallery's Iowa significance lies in both that positional development and the connection between individual recognition and team success. The conference-title contribution gives his résumé substance beyond awards, while his decorated final season establishes a clear peak. His early tight end role is part of the story, but his work at offensive tackle provides the foundation for ranking him among the program's notable players.

Dallas Clark began at Iowa as a walk-on linebacker and finished as the 2002 John Mackey Award winner at tight end. He averaged more than 17 yards per catch that season and played an important part in the Hawkeyes' undefeated Big Ten run. His 95-yard touchdown reception against Purdue provided a particularly memorable example of his receiving production.

Clark's place in Iowa's history rests on a transformation that culminated in national recognition at his eventual position. The receiving average supports the significance of the Purdue play without making one catch carry the entire argument. His award-winning season also coincided with conference success, giving his peak both individual and team weight and making him an important figure in Iowa's tight end tradition.

Shonn Greene returned to Iowa after a year away from the program, during which he worked at a furniture store while addressing his grades. His comeback produced 1,850 rushing yards in 2008, with more than 100 yards in every game that season. He won the Doak Walker Award and earned consensus All-America recognition, giving that return a nationally recognized conclusion.

Greene's ranking case is primarily about the quality of one defining season rather than a long accumulation of career totals. His game-by-game rushing consistency makes the overall production especially meaningful: the season was not built around a few isolated performances. The national honors reinforce that evidence, while his path back to Iowa supplies context without overshadowing what he accomplished on the field.

Brandon Scherff built his Iowa career at left tackle and won the Outland Trophy in 2014. His strength was a prominent part of his college profile, reflected in both widely noted weight-room videos and his run-blocking work. He became the fifth overall pick in 2015 before moving into a professional career at guard, a different position from the one that defined his Iowa contribution.

Scherff's place in this ranking should begin with his college accomplishments rather than his later positional identity. The Outland provides a concrete measure of his peak and places his line play in a national context. His physical strength adds texture to the profile, but the award-winning work at tackle is the stronger foundation for evaluating his importance to Iowa.