‘A metaphor for life’: Koen Entringer’s all-time hustle play resonates with Hawkeyes
Iowa’s loss to Michigan in the Big Ten title game was mostly forgettable. But one play on special teams that didn’t really impact the outcome captivated the entire football world.
Watch Iowa’s Koen Entringer (the gunner to the right side) on this play, from snap to tackle. Every youth coach should show their kids this.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 3, 2023
In football, there’s rarely a time a player received national praise for missing a tackle. Down 7-3 in the first quarter, Iowa punted inside the Michigan 10. Michigan’s returner Semaj Morgan juked Koen Entringer, a freshman DB who plays mostly special teams, and burst into the open field. But instead of sulking on his blunder, he sprinted 90 yards across the field — pushing the ball carrier out of bounds and initially saving a touchdown.
“I just got up and I saw that somebody hadn’t tackled him,” Entringer said. “And I just thought what about I just be the guy to tackle him.”
“That’s just what they teach at the University of Iowa.”
“At the time, he didn’t understand how big of a play that was,” Jermari Harris said. “I watched him the whole way down — the fact that he never quit, that’s something that is going to pop up in film.”
However, special teams coordinator LeVar Woods had mixed feelings about the play.
“Honestly I couldn’t understand why he didn’t make the tackle the first time inside the 10,” Woods said.
Entringer is still a freshman and doesn’t play on defense a ton quite yet. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker believes he’s not just a one-hit wonder.
“He’s thinking right and doing right,” Parker said. “He has really good upside and I’m happy to be able to have a chance to coach him for a couple more years. He’s really on the rise, he’s doing a really good job.”
While Woods wishes the tackle was made inside the opposite 10-yard line, he still appreciates Entringer’s hustle — and thinks he will more with time.
“I think it’s a teachable moment for all of football but I also think it’s a microcosm or a metaphor for life,” Woods said. “You bust your tail and you finish.”
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