HAWK TALK

October 2020

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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).

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