Countdown to 2008: Andy Brodell

Iowa receiver Andy Brodell will be entering his senior season when the Hawkeyes begin practicing in August, which is less than three months away. Brodell will be counted upon in a big way this year, and he will need to put together a consistent and injury free season if the Hawkeye offense is to hit on all cylinders. We take a look at Brodell, what he has done and what he needs to do in 2008...

With less than 80 days left before the annual Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon, an event that many view as the unofficial ‘kickoff’ to the Big Ten football season, HawkeyeNation.com will begin a player by player snapshot analysis of the 2008 Iowa football roster.

We will begin by taking a look at the players that were on Iowa’s spring depth chart, then proceed through the rest of the roster’s scholarship players and key walkons, and finish with a look at the new faces that made up Iowa’s recruiting class of 2008.

First up, Hawkeye wide receiver Andy Brodell

2007 by the Numbers:  Listed as first team split end following spring practice . . . started at split end in opening win at Northern Illinois as offense gained 250 yards rushing and 383 yards total offense . . . had two pass receptions for 18 yards vs. Northern Illinois, along with 75 yards on six punt returns . . . career-best 56-yard punt return led to Iowa's first touchdown of the game . . . started at split end in win over Syracuse as offense gained 408 yards total offense . . . recorded seven receptions for 54 yards vs. Syracuse, along with 78 yards on four punt returns . . . started at split end in loss at Iowa State, with three receptions for 22 yards and 23 yards on two punt returns . . . started at split end in loss at Wisconsin but left game in the first period due to injury and did not return . . . had one reception for two yards and two punt returns for 26 yards before injury at Wisconsin.

Analysis:  Brodell did not see any action beyond the Wisconsin game, as he tore his hamstring off of his bone.  There were some doubts as to how long it would take Brodell to return to the field for Iowa, and at what level he could play at.  Though he didn’t take another snap after the Wisconsin game, some Hawkeye pundits speculated that Brodell might have been available had Iowa made it to a bowl game last year, though I doubt how accurate such predictions might have been.

Brodell was put through the paces this spring and the best news of all for him was that he made it through to the end of spring drills without suffering any serious injuries, which was a part of his rehab.  Was it the final test?  That’s debatable; he will need to make it through summer conditioning and fall camp fully healthy to overcome any final mental hurdles that may still linger after suffering a serious injury last year.

Then, getting back on the field against a real opponent will probably be the last test for Brodell to prove to himself that he is back, and can once again compete at the levels he has hit earlier in his career.

When he is healthy, he showed some promise at the tail end of the 2006 season, going for 159 yards in each of Iowa’s final two games (Minnesota & Texas).  But those games accounted for 318 of his 724 yards in 2006, 13 of his 39 receptions and three of his five touchdowns.  Brodell caught 13 passes for just 96 yards (7.4 yards per catch average) and no touchdowns before getting hurt against Wisconsin last year.

Iowa needs a healthy Brodell in the lineup, and Andy still has a few things to prove to himself and to the fans in 2008; can he stay healthy, can he be a go to receiver, can he make the consistent, routine plays and can he be a team leader?

He has the talent, he has the speed (ask Texas) and he has the toughness; he just needs to answer those questions in the affirmative as a fifth year senior should.

Brodell's Collegiate Stats

Receiving	No.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Lng.
Freshman	6	69	11.5	0	15
Sophomore	39	724	17.1	5	63
Junior	13	96	7.4	0	15
Career	58	889	15.3	5	63
Punt Returns	No.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Lng.
Freshman	1	12	12.0	0	12
Sophomore	13	138	10.6	0	31
Junior	14	202	14.4	0	56
Career	28	352	12.6	0	56

High School honors - - Named as Elite and Class 4A first team all-state selection by the Des Moines Register . . . also a first team all-state selection by the Iowa Newspaper Association and Iowapreps.com . . . first team all-conference selection as a junior and senior . . . Career - - helped lead his team to three consecutive state semi-final games (2001-03) . . . set school and conference records with 3,808 career rushing yards and 64 career touchdowns . . . set single-season school and conference records as a senior with 2,041 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns . . . four-time letterman in track . . . 100-meter dash champion at 2003 Drake Relays . . . set school records in the 100 (0:10.4) and 200 (21.4) meter dashes.

Career Receiving Bests

Catches:  7, twice, last vs. Syracuse, 9/8/07

Yards:     159, twice, last vs. Texas, 12/30/06

TDs:        2 vs. Texas, 12/30/06

Long:       63 (TD) vs. Texas, 12/30/06

Career Punt Return Bests

Returns:   6 vs. Northern Illinois, 9/1/07

Yards:     78 vs. Syracuse, 9/8/07

TD:          none

Long:       56 vs. Northern Illinois, 9/1/07