Sam LaPorta A Mackey Semifinalist

Iowa Senior Makes Cut for National Tight End Award

Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta (84) breaks an attempted tackle by Illinois' Matthew Bailey on Oct. 8, 2022 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - University of Iowa senior tight end Sam LaPorta has been named a 2022 John Mackey Award semifinalist.

Presented annually by the Friends of John Mackey, the award goes to the nation’s most outstanding tight end. LaPorta is one of nine semifinalists and one of three in the Big Ten.

The Highland, Illinois, native has 139 career receptions for 1,587 yards. LaPorta leads the team in 2022 with 44 receptions for 458 yards. He ranks first in receptions and second in yards among Iowa’s all-time tight ends. He had nine receptions for 101 yards at Illinois, six receptions for 55 yards at Ohio State, and three receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown at Purdue. LaPorta leads the Big Ten Conference tight ends in receptions and yards

LaPorta (6-4, 249 pounds) was voted second-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele and third-team by league coaches in 2021.

Iowa has had two previous winners of the Mackey Award, including Dallas Clark in 2002 and T.J. Hockenson in 2018. Tony Moeaki (2009), Allen Reisner (2010) and Noah Fant (2018) were also semifinalists for the award.

Iowa (5-4, 3-3) hosts Wisconsin (3-5, 2-4) in a battle for the Heartland Trophy on Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT, FS1) at Kinnick Stadium.