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Ladell Betts '02 Community and Commercial Recreation Hometown: Blue Springs, Missouri |
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As a football player at Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Missouri, Ladell earned plenty of national attention. USA Today named him Missouri Player of the Year after he earned first-team all-state and all-metro honors; he was named to the Parade and SuperPrep All-American teams; and Prep Football Report named him an All-American as well. Just about any college team in the country would have been thrilled to have Ladell running the ball for them. But he chose to be a Hawkeye -- and has gone on to become the first Iowa player ever to lead the team in rushing for four seasons. He holds the second-best UI career records in rushing attempts (831) and yards (3,686), as well as the third-best in rushing touchdowns (25), and he was only the second Iowa player to ever rack up two 1,000-yard seasons. To top it all off, he was named the 2001 Hawkeye Offensive Most Valuable Player. "Iowa just has the whole package. Strong academics combined with Big Ten football -- it just doesn't get any better than that. And the support we get from the fans is amazing. It's a home away from home," says Ladell. That support made the recruiting job easy for the Iowa coaching staff. Not only do 70,000 fans turn out to cheer on their team at home games, but they show their loyalty with financial contributions, too. In his senior year, Ladell received the Jack and Ailene Liechty Football Scholarship, which is helping him earn a first-rate UI education. And annual I-Club contributors help give players like Ladell the finest in equipment, training facilities, sports medicine services, and more. "It's just a privilege, honor, and blessing to wear the black and gold. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be a Hawkeye," says Ladell.
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