44
Regardless of start time, Yilek arrives to his tailgate
at 6 a.m. He sets up, talks with other tailgaters,
breaks out a Nintendo 64 and plays a few games
of Mario Kart. en it's time to watch College
Gameday and BTN leading up to Iowa's kickoff.
If the game is big enough — and the Hawkeyes
need an extra boost — there will be cow tongue, a
tradition that began in 2013 or 2014.
"My buddy thought it would be a unique thing
to cook," Yilek said. "We aren't obsessed with
cow tongue, but we won the game and we were
underdogs. Since then, every year we pick a big
game and we smoke cow tongue. It's a superstition
now."
Yilek has also added a Hawkeye tradition to his
home. e bathroom in his "man cave" has a
sign that reads "Visitors" on the door. Inside, the
majority of the decor is pink. ere are two framed
photographs of Kinnick Stadium's visiting locker
room, as well as a wall hanging of Hayden Fry with
a quote.
"I'm working on my wife for a pink toilet," Yilek
said.
Yilek's wife, Megan, is also a graduate of the
University of Iowa. She is a manager in the
insurance department at the University of Iowa
Hospitals and Clinics. ey have three children:
Jonah (7-years-old), Makena (3), and Jaida (1).