Former Iowa Hawkeye quarterback Chuck Long was the guest speaker at the noon Rotary Club of Ankeny on October 9th. Chuck is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and played professionally in the NFL for the Detroit Lions and Los Angles Rams. After his professional career, he served as an assistant coach at Iowa and Oklahoma and head football coach at San Diego State. Long is the CEO and Executive Director of the Iowa Sports Foundation, the organization that runs the Iowa Games, the Senior Games and the Live Healthy Iowa challenge.
Chuck highlighted some of the stories contained in his recently published biography “Destined for Greatness – The Story of Chuck Long and Resurgence of Iowa Hawkeyes Football” including taking a snap in a record five college bowl games, claiming a last-second win over No. 2 Michigan in 1985, finishing runner-up to Bo Jackson for the 1985 Heisman Trophy and being selected in the first round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. The book relives his life and career as one of the Hawkeyes' greatest players and the resurgence of Iowa football under Coach Hayden Fry. The book also includes perspectives from Fry, Kirk Ferentz, Hap Peterson, Mark Vlasic and Jonathan Hayes and their reflections on a variety of topics including the farm depression that impacted Iowa in the 1980s. Also in attendance was the author of the book, Aaron Putze, a visiting Rotarian form Waukee.
Chuck and Aaron brought several books which were purchased by members and guests and autographed for Chuck. He also autographed a Hawkeye football which along with an autographed book will be sold at the club's 2019 fundraiser on April 13th.
