Wide Right and Natty Lite is doing a countdown of the top 100 reasons to be a Cyclone fan. Whether it be football, basketball, wrestling or cricket we have taken the time to analyze exactly why you should cheer for the Cyclones and chant "Fuck...The...Hawkeyes" at the top of your lungs. Settle in for the 100 straight days of why you should cheer for the cardinal and gold over all esle.
Countdown to Kickoff: Days 98-96: Memoralizing Three Great Cyclones
Three times since 2003 Iowa State has lost a former running back too early, and all for separate reasons. In a span of less than a week Ennis Haywood passed away from complications due to sleep apnea and 70s great Dexter Green passed away at the age of 46 from cancer. Both will go down in history as Cyclone greats for the leadership and dedication they showed to their respective teams. The two had different running styles, Green being the shiftier of the two and Haywood known for bowling over defenders, but both lead their Cyclone teams to bowl births late in their careers. While Green's teams came up short in the 1977 Peach Bowl against North Carolina State and the 1978 Hall of Fame Bowl against Texas A&M; Haywood's Cyclones beat Pittsburgh in the 2000 Insight Bowl 37-29 to clinch Iowa State's first ever bowl victory.
Green finished his career at the top of Iowa State's all-time rushing yards list with 3,437 yards and 34 touchdowns. His record was only broken by both Troy and Darren Davis. Haywood is 6th on Iowa State's all-time rushing list with 2,862 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.
Click here for highlights and a recap of the 2000 Insight Bowl, with some very good highlights of Mr. Haywood thrown in.
The third of our Cyclone greats is also high on the all-time rushing list (7th) and also saw his team make it to two bowl games in his tenure and winning one (2004 Independence Bowl). He is the only running back in Iowa State history to lead his team in rushing four times and scored his first ever rushing touchdown against Baylor in a 26-25 comeback win. On November 28, 2008 the world lost Stevie Hicks when he was found on Interstate 480 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Hicks was a maddening running back to watch because there were days you felt he could dominate a game like he did against Miami of Ohio in the 2004 Independence Bowl and then see him falter and battler through injuries like he did in much of 2005 and 2006. Make no mistake though, he scored some of the biggest touchdowns in recent Iowa State memory. From that touchdown against Baylor in 2004 to running roughshod over Kansas State in both 2004 and 2005 Hicks always managed to find a way to come through when the team needed him the most.
As the years go by and running backs come and go through the doors of the Jacobson Buidling let's take the time to remember three who laid the foundation for success in Ames.
Join us for Reasons To Be A Cyclone throughout the summer. From now until kickoff against UNI on September 3rd we will be counting down the reasons that YOU should be cheering for the Cyclones.
Countdown to Kickoff: Days 98-96: Memoralizing Three Great CyclonesThree times since 2003 Iowa State has lost a former running back too early, and all for separate reasons. In a span of less than a week Ennis Haywood passed away from complications due to sleep apnea and 70s great Dexter Green passed away at the age of 46 from cancer. Both will go down in history as Cyclone greats for the leadership and dedication they showed to their respective teams. The two had different running styles, Green being the shiftier of the two and Haywood known for bowling over defenders, but both lead their Cyclone teams to bowl births late in their careers. While Green's teams came up short in the 1977 Peach Bowl against North Carolina State and the 1978 Hall of Fame Bowl against Texas A&M; Haywood's Cyclones beat Pittsburgh in the 2000 Insight Bowl 37-29 to clinch Iowa State's first ever bowl victory.
Green finished his career at the top of Iowa State's all-time rushing yards list with 3,437 yards and 34 touchdowns. His record was only broken by both Troy and Darren Davis. Haywood is 6th on Iowa State's all-time rushing list with 2,862 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.
Click here for highlights and a recap of the 2000 Insight Bowl, with some very good highlights of Mr. Haywood thrown in.
The third of our Cyclone greats is also high on the all-time rushing list (7th) and also saw his team make it to two bowl games in his tenure and winning one (2004 Independence Bowl). He is the only running back in Iowa State history to lead his team in rushing four times and scored his first ever rushing touchdown against Baylor in a 26-25 comeback win. On November 28, 2008 the world lost Stevie Hicks when he was found on Interstate 480 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Hicks was a maddening running back to watch because there were days you felt he could dominate a game like he did against Miami of Ohio in the 2004 Independence Bowl and then see him falter and battler through injuries like he did in much of 2005 and 2006. Make no mistake though, he scored some of the biggest touchdowns in recent Iowa State memory. From that touchdown against Baylor in 2004 to running roughshod over Kansas State in both 2004 and 2005 Hicks always managed to find a way to come through when the team needed him the most.
As the years go by and running backs come and go through the doors of the Jacobson Buidling let's take the time to remember three who laid the foundation for success in Ames.
Join us for Reasons To Be A Cyclone throughout the summer. From now until kickoff against UNI on September 3rd we will be counting down the reasons that YOU should be cheering for the Cyclones.