Larry Station

Last updated

Larry Station
No. 90
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1963-12-05) December 5, 1963 (age 60)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:227 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school: Omaha Central
College: Iowa
NFL draft: 1986  / Round: 11 / Pick: 287
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Player stats at PFR

Larry W. Station Jr. (born December 5, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Iowa. He is Iowa's leader in career tackles and was twice named as a consensus first-team All-American. Station was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

Contents

Early years

Station was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, just across the river from Iowa. Station attended Omaha Central High School., where he received three varsity letters, in football, track, and tennis. He was a two-time first-team all-state football selection in high school and was named captain of his football team.

Station was twice named the captain of his high school track team, for which he competed in shot put and discus throw. He won the Nebraska state title in the shot put his junior and senior years and won the state title in discus his senior year. In Station's senior year in 1982, he led his high school to the state championship at the Nebraska state high school track meet. In that meet, he won the state title in the shot put by setting a state meet record which stood for 17 years. [1]

In addition to being all-city and all-conference in both football and track, Station was a top tennis player in high school. At age 14, he was ranked third in singles and first in doubles in the state of Nebraska. Station was the Nebraska state juniors tennis champion while in high school. He was so adept at tennis that Iowa coach Hayden Fry offered to let him play on the Hawkeye tennis team, an offer Station declined. [2]

College career

Station only started five football games at the University of Iowa in 1982 as a true freshman, yet he led the team with 88 tackles. He was Iowa's defensive player of the game against Michigan and he had 15 tackles against Indiana on homecoming. He helped Iowa lead the Big Ten in both rushing defense and total defense in 1982, and Station was a second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection.

As a sophomore in 1983, Larry Station led Iowa in tackles in seven games. He was Iowa's defensive player of the game against Purdue and Illinois and led Iowa with 138 tackles on the year. Station helped lead Iowa to a 9–3 record and a berth in the Gator Bowl. Station was selected as a consensus first-team All-Big Ten linebacker and was a second-team All-American.

In 1984, Station again led Iowa in tackles with 137 and recovered fumbles in three Big Ten games. He had 21 tackles against Minnesota and three sacks against Northwestern. He was selected as first-team All-Big Ten for the second time and was a consensus first team All-American in 1984. Station was also Iowa's fourth academic All-American.

In Station's senior season in 1985, he helped lead Iowa to its first outright Big Ten title in 27 years. He led Iowa in tackles for the fourth straight season with 129. He was selected as a co-captain and the co-MVP of the 1985 Hawkeyes. Station was a finalist for the Lombardi Award and the Butkus Award, and he was twice selected as Iowa's defensive player of the game in 1985. He was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player for the third consecutive year, and for the second consecutive year, Larry Station was a consensus first-team All-American. He was also chosen as an Academic All-American for the second straight year and won Iowa's Scholastic Achievement Award. [3]

Station had 492 career tackles, the most in Hawkeye history, but he is best remembered for one: his game-saving tackle of running back Jamie Morris in Iowa's 1985 game against Michigan. The game was one of the most anticipated in school history, as Iowa was ranked #1 in the Associated Press poll, while Michigan was ranked #2. Michigan held a 10–9 lead with just minutes left on the clock at Kinnick Stadium, when the Wolverines faced third down and two yards for a first down. Station anticipated the handoff to Morris and reacted with lightning speed, dropping Morris for a two-yard loss. The Wolverines were forced to punt, and Iowa kicker Rob Houghtlin kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired to give Iowa a cherished 12–10 victory.

Retirement

In his final game at Iowa, Station injured his back and was forced to leave early in the 1986 Rose Bowl against UCLA. Station never fully recovered from that injury, and he played just one year of professional football with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted Station in the 11th round of the 1986 NFL Draft, before being forced into retirement from football. [4]

Station then obtained a master's degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. He returned to Omaha, where he bought his family's grocery store, Bedford Market, and a number of rental properties he oversees. [2] Station lives in Omaha three of children.

Honors

Not only does Station hold the record for career tackles at Iowa, he is the only player to have led the Hawkeyes in tackles in four seasons. Iowa went 35–13–1 during his four years there, and he helped lead the Hawkeyes to four bowl games. Station is only the second Iowa player to twice be named a consensus first team All-American (Cal Jones is the other). Station was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009. [5]

In 1989, Iowa fans selected an all-time Iowa football team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football, and Station was selected to the team as a linebacker. In 1999, Sports Illustrated selected Larry Station as the 38th greatest sports figure in history from the state of Nebraska. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa Hawkeyes football</span> University of Iowa football team

The Iowa Hawkeyes football program represents the University of Iowa in college football. The Hawkeyes compete in the West division of the Big Ten Conference. Iowa joined the Conference in 1899 and played their first Conference football season in 1900. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Hawkeyes play their home games in Iowa City, Iowa, at Kinnick Stadium, with a capacity of 69,250. The Hawkeyes are coached by Kirk Ferentz, who is in his 25th season as the head coach and is the longest current tenured head coach in NCAA Division I FBS. The Hawkeyes have won 13 conference championships. Iowa has been ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Poll 15 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Gallery</span> American football player (born 1980)

Robert J. Gallery is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa and received unanimous All-American recognition. He was selected with the second overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Alvarez</span> American football player, coach, and administrator (born 1946)

Barry Lee Alvarez is an American former college football coach and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons, from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career record of 119–72–4. He has the longest head coaching tenure and the most wins in Wisconsin Badgers football history. Alvarez stepped down as head coach after the 2005 season, and remained as athletic director until July 1, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Tippett</span> American football player (born 1959)

Andre Bernard Tippett Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American in 1981. A second-round pick in the 1982 NFL draft, Tippett was selected to five Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro twice in his career. Since 2007, he has been the Patriots' executive director of community affairs. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nile Kinnick</span> American football player

Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a United States Navy aviator in World War II. Kinnick was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, and the University of Iowa renamed its football stadium Kinnick Stadium in his honor in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Long</span> American football player and coach (born 1963)

Charles Franklin Long Jr. is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL). He played as a quarterback in college for the Iowa Hawkeyes under coach Hayden Fry and professionally with the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. After his professional career, Long was an assistant coach at Iowa and Oklahoma before serving as the head football coach for the San Diego State Aztecs. Long also held a position as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks under head coach Turner Gill. Long is the CEO and executive director of the Iowa Sports Foundation, the organization that runs the Iowa Games, the Senior Games, Adaptive Sports Iowa, Iowa Corporate Games and the Live Healthy Iowa challenge, as well as an analyst for the Big Ten Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Kampman</span> American football player (born 1979)

Aaron Allan Kampman is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was selected by Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdul Hodge</span> American football player and coach (born 1983)

Abdul Raheeda Hodge is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the tight ends coach at Iowa, where he played as a 3-time all Big-Ten linebacker. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cal Jones</span> American gridiron football player (1933–1956)

Calvin Jack Jones was an American professional football guard. Jones played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and he is one of only two players to have his jersey number retired by the school. Jones became the first Hawkeye and the first African-American, to win the Outland Trophy in 1955. He played one year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). He died in a plane crash after playing in the East–West All-Star Game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Locke</span> American football player and coach (1898–1969)

Gordon C. Locke was an American college football player and coach He played college football at the University of Iowa, where he was an All-American. Locke served as the head football coach at Western Reserve University—now a part of Case Western Reserve University—from 1926 to 1930, compiling a record of 15–20–1. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1960.

Trev Kendall Alberts is an American sports administrator and former football linebacker who is the athletic director at Texas A&M University. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, winning the Dick Butkus Award and Jack Lambert Trophy as a senior. Alberts was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

LeVar Woods is the special teams coach at the University of Iowa, where he played linebacker during his college career. As a professional football player, he was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2001, played for a season and a half with the Detroit Lions (2005–2006), and finished his career with the Tennessee Titans (2006–2007).

The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team is part of the University of Iowa athletics department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willis Glassgow</span> American football player and attorney (1907–1959)

Willis Allen "Bill" Glassgow graduated from Shenandoah Iowa high school. Willis was an American football player and attorney. He played halfback for the University of Iowa from 1927 to 1929, was selected as a first-team All-American in 1929, and received the 1929 Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the best football player in the Big Ten Conference. He played two seasons of professional football in the National Football League for the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1931. He practiced law in Iowa from 1933 to 1959, including two terms as the Page County Attorney (1935–1939) and three terms as the Linn County Attorney (1951–1957).

Dave Haight is an American former college football player for the University of Iowa. He was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year as a junior in 1987, and named a first team All-American in 1988.

Brad Quast was an all-conference football player for the University of Iowa from 1986 to 1989. He is a member of the University of Iowa’s all-time football team.

The 1985 Big Ten Conference football season was the 90th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josey Jewell</span> American football player (born 1994)

Josey Jewell is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was a unanimous All-American and a three-time All-Big Ten selection. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 2018 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Campbell (American football)</span> American football player (born 2000)

Jack Campbell is an American football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was a unanimous All-American for the Iowa Hawkeyes, winning the Butkus Award in 2022. Campbell was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, and named to the All-Rookie Team.

References

  1. ↑ "Nebraska High School Hall of Fame Bio". Archived from the original on January 29, 2006. Retrieved July 11, 2006.
  2. 1 2 Station's Register Hall of Fame Bio Archived January 21, 2013, at archive.today
  3. ↑ "Station Career Recap from HawkeyeSports". Archived from the original on March 13, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2006.
  4. ↑ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  5. ↑ CFB Hall of Fame Election [ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ SI's Greatest Sports Figures
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.