Aaron J. Riley

Jack Campbell is the greatest captain I’ve ever witnessed in college football. He led a tremendous defense opposite Iowa’s challenged offense, to be nice. After a 7-3 win (2 safeties, 1 FG) in the 2022 opener, he immediately set the tone. He never complained about the offense. He refused to allow it. He was the reason why Iowa never fell apart. “I'm not even going to get started on what you guys probably want me to talk about,“ he said. “For the outside world, everyone can point fingers and stuff like this. But when you're in a locker room, you're one team. You're one unit and we just play for each other no matter what.” His character is off the charts. He is generous and caring in ways that belie his intense exterior. He always leads by example and sets a standard that everyone follows organically. That’s leadership. He’s the best I’ve seen do it.