Iowa Native and NFL Prospect Has Lengthy ESPN Write Up

Cooper DeJean is an elite athlete. Those that follow high school and college sports in the State of Iowa know that well. The rest of us are about to find out.

DeJean is currently working through the final stages of rehab from a leg injury that ended his season early while playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes last Fall.

He will soon perform on-field drills for scouts in person on Monday, April 8th.

Get our free mobile app

He's an Iowa native and Iowa High School grad, but has strong ties to South Dakota, and was actually born here in Sioux Falls!

DeJean is a highly touted NFL Draft prospect, and it would surprise most if he isn't a first-round pick later this month.

ESPN.com has taken notice, and there's now a lengthy write up on the former OABCIG High School standout and Iowa Hawkeye.

Here's just a snippet from the wide-ranging article bound to be gobbled up by those of us in the region and beyond:

DeJean is shaping his legend from similar Iowa soil, as a four-sport star from the tiny town of Odebolt, and an alphabet soup high school (OABCIG) within the state that delivered "Field of Dreams." His high school career featured championships and highlights, but also intrigue, because he competed in such a sparsely populated area. His most famous play at Iowa didn't actually count.

The article of course is referring to the 'invalid fair catch signal' play against Minnesota, which costed Iowa the game.

Getty Images

DeJean is not just an exciting player with a good story, but someone that can be counted on to grow said story moving forward.

We've seen great players and athletes come out of the Hawkeye state before, but DeJean's story and ceiling make him incredibly unique and incredibly hard to root against.

The NFL Draft is April 25th through the 27th from Detroit, and DeJean is one of the top prospects this year.

It's amazing to have such a strong NFL Draft class containing local collegiate players, and DeJean is the headliner.

Don't miss the entire article here at ESPN.com!

Source: ESPN.com and Cooper DeJean Wikipedia

13 Famous Iowans

It's a great day for Iowans. The first ever Major League Baseball game was played in Dyersville, Iowa last night (August 12) in The Field of Dreams game and it was awesome!

What a great way to showcase a beautiful state and celebrate the hospitality of Iowans.

Iowa may seem far away from Tinsel Town, but The Hawkeye State has produced many famous actors, musicians, and athletes!

The following 13 are just the tip of the iceberg!

South Dakota Born NFL Players of this Century

While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.