HAWK TALK

February 2013

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Hawkeye Flavor on Super Bowl Sunday By Steve Roe T he names Marshal Yanda and Sean Considine are already etched in the annals of University of Iowa football. On Sunday they have a chance to make Super Bowl history as well. With Baltimore and San Francisco set to meet in the Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3, the Iowa football program will be represented by Yanda, an offensive lineman, and Considine, a defensive back, who play for the Ravens. This marks the 10th straight year at least one former Hawkeyes will compete in the final game of the NFL season, a streak that ranks eighth-best among all college football programs. Yanda and Considine have reached the Super Bowl via different paths. Yanda, a native of Anamosa, Iowa, joined the Hawkeye program following a two-year junior college career. He immediately made a name for himself at Iowa, starting for two seasons. He was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In 2012 Yanda was named to the Pro Bowl for the second straight season. Considine, a native of Byron, Ill., joined the Iowa program as a walk-on. He played his final game in Iowa's last-second win over LSU in the 2005 Capital One Bowl, scoring a touchdown following a blocked punt. Considine was selected by Philadelphia in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. He has totaled over 250 career tackles while playing for five teams over the past eight seasons. The Iowa connections with the 2013 Super Bowl do not end there. Former Hawkeye Jim Caldwell (197376) is Baltimore's offensive coordinator. Former Hawkeye Kent Kahl (1993-94) is a college scout for San 9 Francisco, and 49ers linebacker coach Jim Leavitt was an Iowa assistant coach under Hayden Fry in 1989. The head coaches, John and Jim Harbaugh, both resided in Iowa City as youngsters when their father, Jack, was a Hawkeye assistant coach. Two senior defensive backs on Iowa's 2012 squad also have a special interest in the upcoming Super Bowl. Ed Donatell, the father of defensive back Tom Donatell, is San Francisco's secondary coach. Defensive back Greg Castillo is the son of longtime NFL assistant Juan Castillo, who was recently added to the Baltimore coaching staff. "My dad is very excited about the opportunity," said Greg, who earned his degree and is back home in New Jersey. "My mom, Zaida, is definitely going to the Super Bowl, but we haven't decided between myself and my three brothers on who gets the other ticket." Ed Donatell will be coaching in the Super Bowl for a third time (two Super Bowls with Denver). "My dad is excited and proud of his players," said Tom, who has recently accepted a graduate assistant coaching position at South Florida. "They came so close last year, losing in overtime in the championship game to the Giants." When Donatell heard Juan Castillo was joining the Baltimore staff, he texted a note to his former teammate. "I hope Greg is able to be in New Orleans," added Tom, who plans to make the trip from Tampa on Friday. "We might have to make a little wager, maybe dinner or something."

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