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Human bulldozer AMES Kelechi Osemele cleared the path.
Jeff Woody, Iowa State’s BCS-busting battering ram, came right following.
And one teenage fan who would later join the program himself watched in awe as the Cyclones completed a spectacular, 37-31, double-overtime victory over then-No. 2 Oklahoma State on November 19, 2011.
ISU’s backup quarterback right now is that fan, Connor Moberly.
Moberly, a redshirt freshman who started fall camp as the obvious No. 2 play caller behind honorable mention All-Big 12 selection Rocco Becht, joked that it was a funny story. Jeff Woody, whose number was 32, rushed in that touchdown that won the game.
Prior to making his mark on Cyclone legend, Woody was a standout running back at Southeast Polk. Before the other Ram moved from running back to quarterback and went on to lead the team to consecutive state titles, he was Moberly’s childhood hero. Then, of course, Moberly’s idol was former ISU quarterback Brock Purdy.
The quarterbacks that came before him were all fine, but Brock Purdy is unquestionably the most well-known, according to Moberly.
Moberly has an encouraging career path thanks to Purdy’s transformation from Mr. Irrelevant, the final choice in the 2022 NFL Draft, to a highly compensated, outstanding starter for the San Francisco 49ers.
Last season, Moberly played in four games and went five for ten in the air for 49 yards and an interception. With 52 yards on just eight carries, he most impressed coaches with his legs, which gave him the ideal combination of skills to support Becht and possibly become his heir apparent at the position in the future.
According to Cyclones quarterback coach Jake Waters, he has developed significantly here. He continues to work daily (at) the consistency component of being at a high level, but he has made tremendous progress and is doing admirably.
When Moberly first arrived on college last season, he weighed a slender 180 pounds and stands 6 feet 4 inches tall. Waters claimed that he is currently tipping the scales at 215 or 220 while still being a skilled runner.
According to Waters, he has improved in size, speed, and strength as well as in football. He is also learning a lot every day. Learning the ins and outs of being a collegiate quarterback, including how to prepare for practice and all the things you need to accomplish, as well as how important quarterback decision-making is.
Therefore, even though Moberly is young, he is an experienced player. Additionally, he isn’t merely waiting for Becht to start as quarterback for ISU for the third consecutive year. He is aware that he is just one injury away from starting, and he experienced it firsthand when Becht missed a significant amount of action during the Big 12 championship game defeat to Arizona State.
Moberly, who finished around 70 percent of his throws and threw 40 touchdowns in his two years as a starter at Southeast Polk, stated that you must be prepared to go as soon as it occurs. You’re the guy once it occurs. The quarterback is you. You must be on your game.
As long as he stays healthy, Moberly will probably be reduced to mop-up duty this season, and Becht has undoubtedly been on his game the last two seasons. And he doesn’t mind. Joyful, even. Being the team’s backup quarterback already makes Moberly feel like he’s living out a dream because he has always been a Cyclone fan.
According to him, quarterback is the best position in sports. As a child, though, I remember thinking it was awesome to come here and watch the games and see all the players in uniform. Now that I’m a part of it, I can see my family in the crowd and on the spirit walk, which is pretty nice. Being a part of that is just surreal.
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