Ohio QB enjoys Iowa visit
Ohio quarterback Mark Waid has been staying in close contact with the Iowa coaching staff and had a chance to make a two-day visit with the Hawkeyes this weekend. For the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Waid, it was a learning experience as he continues to build a relationship with Iowa and learn more about their interest in him as a quarterback.
“I had an amazing trip,” said Waid. “I watched spring practice, toured all the facilities, got to sit in on quarterback meetings, toured the campus, and then got to watch the team compete at the spring game.”
In a weekend filled with a lot of great experiences, the one at the top of the list for Waid was getting a chance to participate in the newest tradition at the University of Iowa.
“The biggest highlight for me was getting to wave to the Children’s Hospital,” Waid said. “I always saw it on TV, but it is really something special in person.”
Sitting down with the coaches, Waid met with Iowa quarterbacks coach Ken O’Keefe, who will be making a trip to Ohio this spring to watch the signal caller throw in person.
“I spent most of my time with Coach O’Keefe, but I also got to meet most of the other coaches,” said Waid. “With Coach O’Keefe, we did some board work and talked about the future. He’s going to come out and watch me throw here soon.”
After getting an opportunity to watch two spring practices at Iowa, Waid left with a better appreciation of the way the Hawkeyes go about their work on a day to day basis.
“My biggest takeaway was how hard they played,” Waid said. “The team plays with a lot of heart and excitement. You can just tell they are hungry for the season.”
After heading for home on Saturday, the Ohio native said the Hawkeyes gave him a good first impression this week.
“I really enjoyed my time here,” said Waid. “They have an amazing coaching staff that has proven they know what it takes to win and they want to continue that legacy.”
Waid, who threw for 3,506 yards and 37 touchdowns as a junior at Girard High School, currently holds scholarship offers from Cornell, Fordham, Dartmouth, and Robert Morris, and has interest from several other schools in addition to Iowa.
“I’ve been talking to a lot of schools and will be planning more visits soon,” Waid said.