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Lafayette native finds new home at Iowa

The last time Coy Cronk was on the field, he left with an injury. Now he's back in an Iowa uniform.
The last time Coy Cronk was on the field, he left with an injury. Now he's back in an Iowa uniform.

The first time as a recruit, Lafayette native Coy Cronk was ignored by Purdue. The hometown kid ended up at Indiana and started 40 games along the offensive line. After finishing last season early due to a bad leg injury, Cronk decided to grad transfer and instead of looking to his hometown to wrap up his college career, he landed in Iowa City. Cronk discusses his decision and what he's learned so far as a member of the Iowa program.

Q: It seems like you were held in very high regard at Indiana. How hard was it to leave there?

CRONK: It was a really difficult decision. I have a lot of respect for my teammates and every coach that I had the opportunity to play for. Indiana did a lot for me and I started 40 games for them. We had great relationship there, but at the end of the day sometimes you have to make a tough decision. I respect everyone in the program there and what I was able to accomplish. Most importantly, I was able to get a degree and make lifelong friends, play for great coaches on great teams. It was a great experience and I am excited for the future.

Q: What have you seen from Spencer Petras as a leader?

CRONK: That’s a great question. Spencer has done a great job. I think what’s most impressive is his knowledge of the offense. He knows all the blitz checks and does everything you need to do to be the starting quarterback on a Big Ten team. Nothing has overwhelmed him and he handles all the pressures and takes everything in stride. He has the respect of his teammates and the coaches. I think he has had a really good camp and I am excited for the season.

Q: You grew up in Lafayette, IN. You have played back home before when you were at Indiana, but what will that be like on Saturday?

CRONK: I am from Lafayette and I take a lot of pride in being from there. I love it there. I loved growing up there and everything about the community. It’s very close and it’s an awesome place. I have a lot of respect for Coach Brohm and what he’s been able to do since he got there. He has brought a lot of excitement to the community and that’s really good because it was kind of lost there for a few years. Purdue should have a good team and I am excited for a good game on Saturday.

Q: What was it like in the off-season when there was so much uncertainty about the season?

CRONK: Yeah that was really difficult for me. I had a really big surgery. Really my first surgery ever, so I didn’t know what to expect. I really didn’t know where I should or could be in the process and with major surgery, so days are better than others, so that was the hardest part. Then with the camp starting the first time and then the season ending, that was pretty hard because I felt like I had done everything to get myself in a position to play football again. I was devastated by the decision. This second time around it was so much better because I knew we had a plan and it was going to actually happen.

Q: What has it been like learning the Iowa zone scheme versus what you did at Indiana?

CRONK: I think the biggest difference is the technique and what we do here at Iowa. With Coach Polasek and Coach Ferentz, they keep things very simple and consistent. It’s really on the player to get better every single day and that’s what I really appreciate here. You can then see it on tape and see how it works. It’s been a big adjustment, but I couldn’t ask for better coaches and teammates to help me down the right path.

Q: Was Purdue never in the picture for you either out of high school or the second time around?

CRONK: Out of high school I didn’t get offered by the coaching staff that was there at the time. There were no hard feelings about that. I played at a really small high school and graduated with about 60 kids, so not a whole lot of people knew a lot about me. I had a big chip on my shoulder when I got to Indiana. It was a great experience at Indiana. Bloomington was a great town and a lot of great people there. When I decided to grad transfer, I felt it wasn’t the right thing to do to go to Purdue. After being a team captain at Indiana and the rest that I have for the people there, it wouldn’t be the best move and I didn’t want to disrespect anyone. It was a tough decision and didn’t want to throw anything on the fire. I ran into Coach Brohm around town and he’s a tremendous coach and a great friend and does a lot for the community. It wasn’t in the cards out of high school or in the grad transfer.

Q: Was Kirk Ferentz being a line coach as his area of expertise a big factor in your decision?

CRONK: Yeah it was. I have had a lot of respect for the Iowa program. Playing in the Big Ten you watch a lot of film preparing for your opponent and there’s a lot of film you watch of Iowa and their offensive line when you are preparing. How they played and their pace really stood out to me. I got a call from Coach Ferentz and to me it was an easy decision from there. He has a great track record and Iowa has done tremendous things over the years and more importantly, I knew of his reputation as a good human being and an honest guy.

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