Bohnenkamp: Bittersweet Finale for Sam LaPorta

Iowa Tight End Sad College Career Ended at Music City, Excited for Future

Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta (84) spanes for extra yards past Kentucky defenders during the third quarter of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium on Dec. 31, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sam LaPorta admitted he wept as left the Nissan Stadium grass, and his college career, behind.

“You should have seen me coming off the field,” the Iowa tight end said. “I was crying like a little baby.”

It would have been understandable if LaPorta hadn’t played in the Hawkeyes’ 21-0 win over Kentucky in Saturday’s TransPerfect Bowl. He has an NFL career ahead, and with so many players around the country skipping their final game to prepare for the future, who could have blamed LaPorta for doing the same?

But no, he was not going to go out that way. He made that clear as soon as the regular season ended.

One more game, he said.

One more game in the black-and-gold uniform.

One more game with his teammates.

“I really wanted to be out there one more time,” LaPorta said.

LaPorta had hobbled out to his parents during the Senior Day ceremonies before the game against Nebraska the day after Thanksgiving. He had torn the meniscus in his knee, and the surgery to repair it kept him off the Kinnick Stadium field.

The Hawkeyes lost that day, costing themselves a chance at the Big Ten West Division title, but LaPorta knew there would be one more game.

And so there he was on Saturday, catching a team-high five passes for 56 yards. The Hawkeyes’ first touchdown was set up by LaPorta’s pinball wizardry, when he took a short pass from quarterback Joe Labas and started bouncing off Wildcats for a 27-yard gain that would set up Luke Lachey’s 15-yard scoring reception one play later.

“I felt like I was running for 20 seconds,” LaPorta said. “It felt like backyard football. ‘Don’t let one guy bring me down.’”

It’s what he’s done for his entire career, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.

“He’s all football player,” Ferentz said. “He truly loves the game. He truly loves the competition.”

Ferentz trusted LaPorta so much, he was the emergency quarterback for this game had Labas and backup Carson May gone down.

And for three plays in the fourth quarter, LaPorta ran the offense out of a wildcat formation. He had one run of six yards and one for no gain sandwiched around a handoff to Kaleb Johnson for a 2-yard gain.

LaPorta, of course, enjoyed it.

“I’ve been in the huddle a couple of thousand times,” he said.

He also wanted to try at least one pass.

“I was telling them my shoulder was loose,” LaPorta said, laughing.

There is a motto among the Hawkeyes that LaPorta has embraced, about leaving the jersey in a better place.

“I sure hope I did that,” LaPorta said.

He did.

LaPorta remembered when he arrived at Iowa as a wide receiver and was converted to tight end.

“I’d never put my hand on the ground,” he said.

LaPorta credited offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz with his emergence as one of the nation’s best tight ends. Ferentz has been much maligned this season because of Iowa’s struggles on offense, but LaPorta wasn’t hearing the criticism.

“He’s a damn good coach,” LaPorta said. “I don’t care what anybody says about the man.”

LaPorta’s career was over, but he wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

“Man,” he said, “I loved every second of it.”