In his first year of retirement following a successful 11-season career in Purple, Chad Greenway is returning this weekend to where his foray into 11-man football began.
Greenway, a former Iowa Hawkeyes standout, will be recognized prior to the Penn State-Iowa game tonight as this year's America Needs Farmers (ANF) Wall of Honor inductee at Kinnick Stadium. The ANF Wall of Honor salutes former Iowa football players who "exemplify the tenacity, work ethic and character of the Iowa farmer."
"America Needs Farmers is a very 'Iowa' thing," Greenway said of the program originally launched by former Hawkeyes Head Coach Hayden Fry in 1985. "It's important to Iowa, and it's important to me. I obviously grew up on a farm in South Dakota, and all of my family [members are] pretty much farmers in some capacity."
A native of Mount Vernon, South Dakota, Greenway played on a nine-man football team in high school before playing collegiately at Iowa, the only Division I program to give him an offer.
Greenway quickly made a name for himself with the Hawkeyes.
In 45 games at Iowa, he started 38 times and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection. Greenway finished his career with 416 tackles (251 solo), ranking fifth in school history. He recorded 7.0 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and two blocked kicks. Greenway also snagged four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
Greenway will be the sixth Iowa alum to be inducted into the ANF Wall of Honor. He joins Dallas Clark (2016), Robert Gallery (2015), Bruce Nelson (2014), Jared DeVries (2013) and Casey Wiegmann (2012).
"For me to be honored on that wall in Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City is just a really special moment for me," Greenway said earlier this week. "I'm really looking forward to being down there this weekend and just being in front of the crowd.
"It's fun to be able to get down there a little more often now that I'm retired," Greenway added. "But in particular to be on that wall, representing farmers, it's just really important to me."
