Video: Kirk Ferentz discusses departures of Kaleb Brown, Leshon Williams
Kirk Ferentz discusses a variety of topics ahead of Iowa’s matchup with Washington.
IOWA CITY — Roy Higgins III could sense it during the offseason.
His son, star Iowa football linebacker Jay Higgins, was visiting. Jay Higgins outlined how he planned to reach his goals.
“He really shared his vision with me,” Roy said of his son. “Even though I knew it, to hear him verbally share it with him, it kinda just blew my mind. And I’m like, ‘OK, I’m no longer talking to my son who’s a kid. I’m talking to a businessman with a business mind who knows (about) having goals. And who knows how to strategically attack his goals to reach his ultimate dream.’ I even looked at him, like ‘This is crazy. This is my son?’”
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It’s not like Higgins wasn’t already focused before. He broke out as a star in 2023, tying the program’s single-season record of 171 tackles. Higgins was also the winner of the 2023 Duke Slater Golden Gavel Award, given to the Hawkeye football player who is most cooperative with local media and exhibits professional integrity.
And yet, Roy Higgins sensed something different this offseason. Different in a good way.
“Last year, he was a kid — and I’m talking from a dad’s perspective,” Roy Higgins said. “Last year, he was a kid. I watched him transition from last year to this year as far as his physicality, his maturity level, his decisions that he makes, the way he looks at his goals, the way he looks at things forward, things ahead are totally stronger — in my opinion as a dad.”
That has produced results in Higgins’ play this season.
Higgins set a high bar last season that would be tough to replicate. But in some areas, he is actually outpacing that production.
Through five games last season, Higgins had tallied 62 total tackles and one forced fumble.
Through five games this season, Higgins has recorded 48 total tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions and one sack.
“I feel like I’m doing a good job this year just understanding what the teams needs from me, according to that game,” Higgins said. “Last year, I just think it was a bunch of tackles but I don’t know if I was really helping the defense. I don’t know if I was getting the ball back, turnovers, punching the ball out, really getting people aligned. So this year I just feel like I’m doing a better job just actually seeing what we need and filling the role from there.”
After deciding to put his NFL aspirations on hold and return to Iowa, Higgins could have fallen into a complacent mindset ahead of his final campaign with the Hawkeyes. He had already been there, done that at the college level.
So why didn’t he?
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“They ain’t want me last season,” Higgins said, referring to the NFL. “That’s why I came back. I (better) not coast. I better get better.”
That is probably hyperbole. One way or another, Higgins would’ve almost certainly found his way into the league if he had decided to go that route.
But wholeheartedly admitting that is not how Higgins got here in the first place. His only power conference offer out of his school was Iowa. He was virtually unheard of on a national scale before the 2023 season. So naturally, he is still taking that approach, even as one of college football’s premier defenders.
“I tell (assistant head coach Seth) Wallace, they don’t want me in the NFL, I might come back and GA (graduate assistant) instead,” Higgins quipped. “Start from scratch.”
He later added: “My whole career, I’ve just kinda been an underdog. So I guess you could say I had that motivation my whole career. I feel like I play best when people doubt me. I like to tell myself that nobody wants me. So I just keep playing hard.”
Video: Nick Jackson on Ohio State: ‘You can’t let a loss beat you twice’
Nick Jackson discusses a variety of topics ahead of Iowa’s matchup with Washington.
In June, Higgins pointed out that he didn’t want “to be the guy that gets away with playing football naturally.” That is greatly exemplified in his film-watching tendencies. He even throws on film at Noodles & Company while waiting for his two orders of Penne Rosa with alfredo sauce and parmesan-crusted chicken.
“I’m not trying to compare him (Higgins) to Ray Lewis but Ray was a rookie our first years in Baltimore, and you could hear Ray just about anytime, anywhere,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said earlier this season of his time on the Ravens’ staff. “But the one thing about him, boy, I’ll tell you, nobody worked harder than him. Same deal like early in the morning, there late at night, that type of stuff.
“You wonder why great players are great players, there’s a dedication. Just the way they study it and the way they approach it. They’ve also got some humility, and Jay has got all those things.”
Preparation has become apparent on multiple occasions this season.
During the first quarter against Minnesota, quarterback Max Brosmer tried to check the ball down to the running back, who was leaking out of the backfield. But Higgins read it like a book and hauled in the ball for his second interception of the season.
“He usually threw it on the three one-thousand,” Higgins said after the game. “At three seconds, it’s going the check down. That time, he threw it on the second one thousand. So that (running) back wasn’t ready. I was ready for it because knew it was coming. Just detailed. Coach Wallace told me it was coming. I trusted him, went out there and made a play.”
In the first half against Ohio State, Higgins tracked down star freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith and delivered a hit that jarred the ball loose. After driving him into the turf, Higgins didn’t give up on the play, diving into a fray of others to recover the ball.
“I knew that they like to get their receivers in space and like to get them in those tunnel screens and stuff like that. So all week in practice, I was just trying to work on running to the ball. I didn’t know that (Smith) had the ball over there but just trying to run to the ball and hit it violently at the point of attack.”
But in classic Higgins fashion, he was still stewing about the play before. Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins had stiff-armed him into the ground.
“I was still upset about the play before,” Higgins said. “If I didn’t give up that play before, that (takeaway) would’ve felt much better. But I don’t know. I wish I would’ve had a better play the play before, make me feel good. At least could’ve celebrated or something.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
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