uppy: 
When a punter has the ability to dominate a game, you know he's special.
Reggie Roby had that gift - and then some.
"He was one of the most wonderful players I ever had - complete gentlemen," former Iowa head coach Hayden Fry said. "I never had anyone work any harder to become an All-American. The best punter, kicker, field-goal man to ever play college football."
The Waterloo native will be inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday. Roby passed away in February from an apparent heart attack in his Nashville, Tenn., home, at the age of 43.
The former Hawkeye punter still holds the NCAA record for punting average in a season - his mark was an astonishing 49.8 yards per punt in 1981. Roby also holds Iowa records for punting average in a game (55.8 yards) and career (45.4 yards).
The 6-4, 250-pound Roby earned All-American honors in both 1981 and 1982. He went on to spend 16 years in the National Football League, playing in the 1985 Super Bowl with the Miami Dolphins.
Although Roby had enough athletic ability to be an All-American tight end or fullback, his value as a punter and kicker was too great to risk, Fry said. During his tenure at Iowa, Roby even kicked off through the uprights 27 times, Fry said.
Roby was such a tireless worker that Fry bought him a punting net so Roby could boot the ball into it during the games. Fry estimated that Roby kicked into the net at least 500 times throughout every game.
"People thought I was a great, great coach, because I would give Reggie instructions," Fry said "The only thing I was saying to him when he reported to me [during the games] was to kick it this way or kick it that way. He wasn't paying attention to the game - he was just back there kicking all the time. He didn't know which way we were going."
His breathtaking ability even made Fry change his strategy. Instead of being aggressive, Iowa could emphasize defense and wait until the field position swung in its favor, because Roby was always backing the other team up. Roby could have easily averaged over 50 yards a punt, Fry said, but instead followed Fry's instruction and pooch punted to keep the opposing team pinned deep inside its own territory instead of kicking through the end zone.
Roby was the first recruit to sign with Fry at Iowa, and the coach noticed his sense of humor as much as his talent. During his recruiting, Roby led Hawkeye coaches to believe he was headed elsewhere, which Fry said wasn't the case at all. Instead, Roby just wanted Fry to sweat it out. Thinking he was gone, Fry took his entire staff to Waterloo to make one last sales pitch the night before signing day.
"The last call I made that night - we were staying overnight in Waterloo - and we called him about midnight," Fry said. "[Then Iowa assistant Dan] McCarney and I both - I think you could hear us celebrating and yelling all over town when he told us, 'Hey you guys come over at 7 in the morning, and I'll sign with you.' "
Roby's talent and hard work will be enshrined this weekend, as he goes into the Hall of Fame as Iowa's greatest specialist ever.
Reggie Roby had that gift - and then some.
"He was one of the most wonderful players I ever had - complete gentlemen," former Iowa head coach Hayden Fry said. "I never had anyone work any harder to become an All-American. The best punter, kicker, field-goal man to ever play college football."
The Waterloo native will be inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday. Roby passed away in February from an apparent heart attack in his Nashville, Tenn., home, at the age of 43.
The former Hawkeye punter still holds the NCAA record for punting average in a season - his mark was an astonishing 49.8 yards per punt in 1981. Roby also holds Iowa records for punting average in a game (55.8 yards) and career (45.4 yards).
The 6-4, 250-pound Roby earned All-American honors in both 1981 and 1982. He went on to spend 16 years in the National Football League, playing in the 1985 Super Bowl with the Miami Dolphins.
Although Roby had enough athletic ability to be an All-American tight end or fullback, his value as a punter and kicker was too great to risk, Fry said. During his tenure at Iowa, Roby even kicked off through the uprights 27 times, Fry said.
Roby was such a tireless worker that Fry bought him a punting net so Roby could boot the ball into it during the games. Fry estimated that Roby kicked into the net at least 500 times throughout every game.
"People thought I was a great, great coach, because I would give Reggie instructions," Fry said "The only thing I was saying to him when he reported to me [during the games] was to kick it this way or kick it that way. He wasn't paying attention to the game - he was just back there kicking all the time. He didn't know which way we were going."
His breathtaking ability even made Fry change his strategy. Instead of being aggressive, Iowa could emphasize defense and wait until the field position swung in its favor, because Roby was always backing the other team up. Roby could have easily averaged over 50 yards a punt, Fry said, but instead followed Fry's instruction and pooch punted to keep the opposing team pinned deep inside its own territory instead of kicking through the end zone.
Roby was the first recruit to sign with Fry at Iowa, and the coach noticed his sense of humor as much as his talent. During his recruiting, Roby led Hawkeye coaches to believe he was headed elsewhere, which Fry said wasn't the case at all. Instead, Roby just wanted Fry to sweat it out. Thinking he was gone, Fry took his entire staff to Waterloo to make one last sales pitch the night before signing day.
"The last call I made that night - we were staying overnight in Waterloo - and we called him about midnight," Fry said. "[Then Iowa assistant Dan] McCarney and I both - I think you could hear us celebrating and yelling all over town when he told us, 'Hey you guys come over at 7 in the morning, and I'll sign with you.' "
Roby's talent and hard work will be enshrined this weekend, as he goes into the Hall of Fame as Iowa's greatest specialist ever.
