2008 Woodie Awards
Iwebema ready to tackle NFL
Brendan Stiles - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Sports
If the majority of draft forecasters prove to be accurate, Kenny Iwebema should hear his name called during the 2008 NFL draft this weekend.
The 6-4, 274-pound defensive end was a three-year starter at Iowa, and since the Hawkeyes' season ended last November, Iwebema has spent the last five months being analyzed and scrutinized by NFL coaches, scouts, and general managers.
Most scouts and mock drafts have Iwebema projected to go on day two, somewhere between the fifth and sixth rounds.
An April 9 article in *USA Today* ran took it a step further, calling both Iwebema and Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge "draft gems."
"I'm going to try to make them knowledgeable people," Iwebema said. "Just give me a chance, and I'll try to play with everything."
Iwebema said many teams have been in discussions with him, naming six - the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens.
He also recalled a meeting at the NFL Combine with the Philadelphia Eagles, which he called "an experience."
"There was a table set up, and there were like eight to nine people in a room around the table including me," Iwebema said. "There were guys asking questions from every side, and Coach [Andy] Reid didn't say a word the whole meeting, and he was standing three feet away from me, in front of my face.
"At that moment, I was like, 'Man, this is serious,' because not every meeting goes like that."
He also stressed that just because he spoke to those seven teams in particular doesn't mean a call won't come from a squad Iwebema hasn't heard from, as evident from a conversation he had with St. Louis Rams offensive lineman Richie Incognito.
"He was like, 'I didn't even talk to the Rams,'" Iwebema said. "That's just the way it is. People say they're interested, but you don't really know until you're drafted."
As a sophomore, Iwebema flourished for the Hawkeyes, recording 48 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and notching seven sacks. His junior year was hampered by a shoulder injury, and his character has been questioned because he was suspended for the 2006 season opener against Montana.
The 6-4, 274-pound defensive end was a three-year starter at Iowa, and since the Hawkeyes' season ended last November, Iwebema has spent the last five months being analyzed and scrutinized by NFL coaches, scouts, and general managers.
Most scouts and mock drafts have Iwebema projected to go on day two, somewhere between the fifth and sixth rounds.
An April 9 article in *USA Today* ran took it a step further, calling both Iwebema and Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge "draft gems."
"I'm going to try to make them knowledgeable people," Iwebema said. "Just give me a chance, and I'll try to play with everything."
Iwebema said many teams have been in discussions with him, naming six - the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens.
He also recalled a meeting at the NFL Combine with the Philadelphia Eagles, which he called "an experience."
"There was a table set up, and there were like eight to nine people in a room around the table including me," Iwebema said. "There were guys asking questions from every side, and Coach [Andy] Reid didn't say a word the whole meeting, and he was standing three feet away from me, in front of my face.
"At that moment, I was like, 'Man, this is serious,' because not every meeting goes like that."
He also stressed that just because he spoke to those seven teams in particular doesn't mean a call won't come from a squad Iwebema hasn't heard from, as evident from a conversation he had with St. Louis Rams offensive lineman Richie Incognito.
"He was like, 'I didn't even talk to the Rams,'" Iwebema said. "That's just the way it is. People say they're interested, but you don't really know until you're drafted."
As a sophomore, Iwebema flourished for the Hawkeyes, recording 48 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and notching seven sacks. His junior year was hampered by a shoulder injury, and his character has been questioned because he was suspended for the 2006 season opener against Montana.
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