Walk-on opportunity a special one for Kelby Telander

As a former Kids Captain in 2009 after receiving a cochlear implant, the University of Iowa is a special place for Kelby Telander. Now, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Telander will be attending Iowa and joining the Hawkeyes after receiving a walk-on opportunity from Iowa assistant coach LeVar Woods this past week.

"Iowa’s message to me when they offered was that they couldn’t be more excited for me to be a part of the program and to take the time to celebrate with my family that night, but it was back to work the next morning," said Telander. "Also that it’s going to be be hard at times, especially during the first year, but they mentioned it’s not the first time I’ve dealt with adversity considering I’ve had a cochlear implant my whole life and had to deal with never stepping on the field one last time as a senior under the Friday night lights."

After a standout junior season at Liberty High School, an accident at home unfortunately kept Telander off the field this fall.

"I lost my senior season due to a freak accident when I was repairing a glass chandelier in the kitchen while standing on the kitchen island," Telander said. "The chandelier glass shattered causing me to fall off the island and into the thick glass pile on the ground. It resulted in a quick trip to the ER finding out that I was dealing with six torn flexor tendons, a nerve, and an artery in my wrist and hand."

No senior film kind of limited Telander's recruiting options, but the opportunity to walk on at Iowa seems like a perfect fit.

"With the loss of my senior season, it was hard getting a full ride to most colleges and most of them were leaning towards giving a walk-on, so I decided it was best to stay home and close to my family since I’m an only child," said Telander. "I couldn’t imagine being far away from them."

Coming in with the ability to play on either side of the ball at linebacker or tight end, Telander hopes to make an impact on and off the field.

"Another huge factor was that I’m a former Kids Captain and I would love to make an inspiration for the little kids with hearing disabilities," Telander said. "Iowa has always done so much for children dealing with difficult situations, it felt like the right move."

See highlights from Kelby Telander's junior year in the video below.

Iowa's Class of 2021 Walk-Ons:

Kelby Telander - 6-foot-4, 205-pound LB/TE from North Liberty, IA

Max White - 5-foot-11, 195-pound RB from Cedar Rapids, IA

Eli Miller - 6-foot-2, 220-pound LB from Nashville, TN

Andrew Lentsch - 6-foot-5, 235-pound TE from West Des Moines, IA

Alec Wick - 6-foot-1, 180-pound WR from Iowa City, IA

Johnny Pascuzzi - 6-foot-4, 225-pound TE from Kansas City, MO

Jaxon Rexroth - 6-foot-2, 200-pound LB from Cedar Rapids, IA

Denin Limouris - 6-foot-2, 225-pound FB from Glen Ellyn, IL

Luke Elkin - 6-foot-1, 195-pound LS from Neenah, WI