Deontae Craig Embraces Being Veteran Player

Iowa Football D-End Taking On More Responsibility as Junior

Iowa's Deontae Craig (45) sacks Northwestern quarterback Brendan Sullivan on Oct. 29, 2022 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Deontae Craig is heading into his fourth season at Iowa, so he knows what that means.

“Old,” the Iowa defensive end said with a loud laugh.

It’s a relative term, of course — Craig is 21 years old, a fourth-year junior, and nowhere near being an AARP member.

But he is a veteran player who has logged a lot of snaps in his career, so when it comes to dispensing advice, he has the wisdom to go with it.

“It’s definitely different, and I definitely notice the difference, not just in me, but the other guys in my class who have risen through the ranks,” Craig said last week. “I’ll hear them talk and I’ll be, like, ‘I didn’t know you had that in you.’ But it comes with the territory of being the ‘old guy.’

“The first-year guys, we’re not expecting them to know everything. But as a fourth-year guy, it’s my job to be an extension of the coach, make his job easier so it makes it easier on us.”

Craig is coming off a 31-tackle season in 2022 that included 10 tackles for loss and 6 ½ sacks. He was good at creating havoc on a defensive line that was deep and one of the best in the Big Ten, and it’s a role in which he wants to thrive again in this season.

“Obviously I want to be,” Craig said when asked about being a leader on a defense that ranks as one of the nation’s best. “But I’m lucky enough to know that when I’m out there, there’s three other guys up front, and seven other guys on the back end, who are good at what they do as well. So they make my job a lot easier.

I’m just trying to use that confidence as motivation to do more. Personally, I feel like there are a lot of plays left out on the field, and I’m sure (defensive line coach Kelvin Bell) will tell you the same thing. Now, like I said, I’m older. And the older you are, the more expectations you have. With the team we have, the expectations are going to be high anyway. It’s just a fun opportunity, really, to go out there and play ball.”

Craig likes being a mentor to the younger players who have just joined the team, because he was once among that group.

“Right now, with us not doing a lot of football stuff, it’s making sure the young guys start out on the right path, so they can eventually get to where guys like me are at today,” he said. “When it comes to on the field, it’s using that confidence to know that I belong, and have great teammates who can pick me up when I fall short and celebrate with when I make plays. It’s a blessing — it’s really easy to do what I love.

“It’s kind of funny because you say things sometimes, and they’re like, ‘Huh? What?’ And it’s all the same stuff, just different verbiage.”

Craig is No. 1 on the depth chart at left defensive end. It’s been a long path, from a redshirt in the pandemic season of 2020 to now a leader.

“It does feel weird,” Craig said. “It goes pretty quick.

“But, yeah, I’m old.”