Pleasantville defensive tackle Will Anthony will be living his dream with an opportunity to walk-on at the University of Iowa. We caught up with the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Anthony, who just placed sixth at the state wrestling tournament this past weekend, to talk about his future with the Hawkeyes and much more.
Q: Why did you pick the University of Iowa?
ANTHONY: I have been an Iowa fan my entire life. I have been going to Iowa football games since I was a little kid. I have always wanted to go there and was excited when I got the call.
Q: When did they start recruiting you?
ANTHONY: I’d say it started when I went to their prospect camp early in the summer. I was emailing them as much as possible to get in touch with them but they started (recruiting me) heavy when Signing Day came around. We were exchanging phone calls and it got pretty real.
Q: What other schools were you considering?
ANTHONY: I’d say my big three were Grand View, UNI, and Iowa.
Q: Where are they bringing you at position wise?
ANTHONY: I’m pretty sure I’ll be a d-tackle.
Q: How were the Iowa coaches during the recruiting process?
ANTHONY: I first talked to Coach Morgan at camp and he has been a great guy. I really enjoyed talking to him throughout the entire process. He will be a great mentor and coach for me to learn new things.
Q: When are you reporting to Iowa City?
ANTHONY: I believe it will be the first day of school. I don't believe I’m going to have a camp spot.
Q: How does it feel to live your childhood dream?
ANTHONY: It feels amazing. My goal from when I was a little kid was to play Division I football and be a Hawkeye. When I got the call, it was such a heavy weight off my shoulders. My parents love it and I was very excited when I got that call.
Q: When they offered you the opportunity to walk-on, did you commit immediately?
ANTHONY: I talked to my parents about it and had to weigh my options. I had other schools talking to me but I made the decision with my family.
Q: Have they sent you a workout program to get ready?
ANTHONY: Yeah, I got the nutrition and workout packet the other week.
Q: What are your plans to get ready for college?
ANTHONY: Wrestling is now over and track is starting up. I’ll just be working as hard as I can. I’ll eat the right food to get as big as I can and be as prepared as possible for when I come in at the first day of school.
See highlights from Anthony's senior year at Pleasantville in the video below.
Iowa's Class of 2017 walk-ons:
Will Anthony - 6-foot-4, 265-pound DL from Pleasantville, IA (Pleasantville)
Drew Thomas - 6-foot-1, 165-pound WR/DB from Humboldt, IA (Humboldt)
Kyler Schott - 6-foot-2, 275-pound OL from Troy Mills, IA (North Linn)
Jack Koerner - 6-foot-1, 190-pound DB from West Des Moines, IA (Dowling)
Joe Ludwig - 6-foot-2, 205-pound LB from Middleton, WI (Middleton)
Marshall Coluzzi - 6-foot-0, 215-pound LS from Naperville, IL (North)
Tommy Kujawa - 6-foot-3, 220-pound TE from Greendale, WI (Greendale)
Bryce Schulte - 6-foot-3, 215-pound TE/LB from Cedar Rapids, IA (Xavier)
Cole Hahn - 5-foot-10, 185-pound K from West Des Moines, IA (Valley)
Keegan Glaus - 5-foot-10, 215-pound LB from Bettendorf, IA (Bettendorf)
Ben Campos - 6-foot-2, 219-pound LB from West Des Moines, IA (Valley)
Tommy Herrion - 6-foot-1, 185-pound QB from Wilmette, IL (Loyola Academy)
Jack Kallenberger - 6-foot-5, 250-pound DE from Bettendorf, IA (Iowa Central)
Nick Easley - 6-foot-0, 204-pound WR from Newton, IA (Iowa Western)
Yale Van Dyne Jr. - 6-foot-3, 205-pound WR from Stilwell, KS (Bishop Miege)
