Hamilton gets a closer look at Iowa
Iowa City High quarterback Raphael Hamilton got a better taste of what the University of Iowa was all about when he visited for their season opener on Saturday.
"I appreciated the opportunity that Coach Scott Southmayd gave me to make a game day visit to the University of Iowa for the Miami (Ohio) game," said Hamilton. "The day began with a tailgate in which there was an opportunity to visit with coaches, admission staff, current Iowa students, and other recruits. We then got a tour of Iowa’s top-notch facilities. The weight room is one of the largest in the nation and speaks to the culture of hard work that has been instilled by Coach Ferentz and Coach Doyle."
Hamilton was able to hear what previous Iowa athletes thought of their experience on campus.
"Former Hawkeye standout Matt Kroul talked to us about the impact of being a Hawkeye football player," Hamilton said. "He pointed out that the life lessons and attention to detail that are expected of Iowa football players translate well not only to the NFL, but to life beyond the football field."
There was also time for Hamilton to interact with the Hawkeye staff as well.
"We were on the field for pre-game and got the opportunity to talk with some additional coaches at that point," he said. "They were all very encouraging and gave excellent advice about making the most of the high school experience, both athletically and academically. What I really appreciate that they are obviously looking for high character individuals. I think it was pretty cool that we got to take part in the Swarm prior to the game. The atmosphere was really energetic, and it was a bonus to see Iowa get the win.”
Hamilton left the visit with a few things that he felt were the highlight of his trip.
“My favorite part of the visit was being able to learn more about Iowa’s culture of hard work," said Hamilton. "Seeing the facilities where players put in countless hours of work in preparation for the season was really cool. It was great to be able to talk with some of the coaches during pregame and see the team’s hard work pay off with a great win.”
The Iowa coaches have continued to keep an eye on Hamilton since last year.
“I had a good talk with Coach Brian Ferentz when he came to visit City High in the spring," Hamilton said. "I enjoyed meeting and talking with Coach Southmayd and Coach Barnes. Iowa has expressed interest in keeping in touch, and I have another game day visit with them that I’m in the process of arranging. Iowa State has also invited me to two games this season for the Cy-Hawk game and the TCU game.”
Hamilton has interest from a wide range of colleges throughout the Midwest.
“Iowa, Iowa State, Miami (OH), South Dakota State, and Upper Iowa University have all shown interest," he said. "I also attended camp at UNI and Northern Illinois in addition to Iowa, Iowa State, Miami (OH), and Upper Iowa.”