Iowa Lands In State Athlete

With Iowa traveling far and wide this recruiting season, a player very close to home sort of flew under the radar of the Iowa recruitniks online.

They missed out on Linebacker/Tight End Mike Elgin of West Dubuque High School, who will be signing a letter of intent on Wednesday to play football for the University of Iowa.

Elgin helped lead his team to the class 3-A state championship game in 2001 and was named to the Des Moines Register's Elite First Team All-State squad.

"Iowa has been involved with Mike since April of last year," said West Dubuque coach Tim Kilburg, who we spoke with this afternoon. "Iowa liked what they saw on tape during his junior season and they remained involved with Mike throughout the last 10 months."

But it wasn't until this past weekend, when Mike came to Iowa City on an official campus visit, that Iowa offered him a scholarship.

"It was really the first time that Kirk (Ferentz) and the other coaches had spent a lot of time around Mike and got a change to see what kind of person he is," Kilburg said. "He plays football with a lot of intelligence, intensity and is a very hard hitter, but he is also an outstanding person and I think Iowa got a chance to see that this past weekend."

Kilburg said that Iowa has told Elgin he could play a number of positions. "On offense, they feel he could work out at either tight end, offensive line or fullback," Kilburg said. "And on defense, they are looking at him as a possible linebacker or defensive end."

Elgin is presently 6-feet-4 and weighs 210-pounds. Current Iowa tight end Dallas Clark is an example of a versatile player who gives a coaching staff several options. He was recruited to Iowa as a linebacker, but he also played quarterback in high school. Clark changed to the tight end position last spring and emerged as a dangerous weapon on offense from the tight end position this year after being a big contributor on special teams in 2000.

Elgin was also being recruiting by Iowa State and Northern Iowa, but had ruled out leaving the state of Iowa early in the recruiting process. UNI had offered Elgin a scholarship.

"Mike knew from early on that he wanted to be a Hawkeye or a Cyclone," Kilburg said. "He also had that offer from Northern Iowa, so he knew he would not have to leave Iowa."

Elgin also played on last year's state championship basketball squad and Kilburg said he has been named academic all-state.

"I really think that when it is all said and done, Iowa will find out that they have one heck of a football player and person on their hands," Kilburg said. "He has been the stalwart of our team for the past two seasons and things are going to work out well for him in Iowa City."