Former University of Iowa offensive lineman Robert Gallery will serve as honorary captain when the Hawkeyes host Michigan State on Saturday on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:37 p.m. (CT) and the game will be televised nationally on NBC.

Gallery started all 12 games at left tackle as a sophomore in 2001, on a Hawkeye team that won seven games and won the Alamo Bowl with a 19-16 victory over Texas Tech.

As a junior in 2002, Gallery started all 13 games at left tackle and was named a first-team All-Big Ten honoree. He protected the blind side for quarterback Brad Banks, who passed for an impressive 2,573 yards and 26 touchdowns as the Davey O’Brien winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up. Gallery also opened holes for running backs Fred Russell and Jermelle Lewis, who combined for 1,937 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. The team went 11-2, winning the most games in program history and claimed Iowa’s first Big Ten title in 12 years. The Hawkeyes appeared in the Orange Bowl and notched a No. 8 final AP ranking.

During senior season, Gallery again earned first-team Big Ten laurels, adding the Outland Trophy and unanimous first-team All-America honors to his résumé. He led Iowa to another double-digit-win season (10-3) and was named co-captain and co-MVP for the season while also earning Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year honors. Iowa concluded the season with a 37-17 victory against Florida in the Outback Bowl and again finished No. 8 in the final AP Poll, the first back-to-back top 10 finishes for Iowa since the 1950s.

A three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, Gallery also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for three consecutive seasons. He was inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, and he was added to Iowa’s America Needs Farmers Wall of Honor at Kinnick Stadium in 2015, recognizing student-athletes for their tenacity, work ethic and exemplifying the character of American farmers.

Drafted second overall by Oakland in the 2004 NFL Draft, Gallery played 104 career games with the Raiders (2004-10) and Seahawks (2011), starting all but one contest.

Gallery, whose No. 78 will be added to the Ring of Honor this weekend, will accompany the Iowa captains to midfield for Saturday’s pregame coin toss. He will also be with the Hawkeyes in the locker room before and after the game.

The University of Iowa Police Department is urging Hawkeye fans to be aware of common ticket scams and use official ticketing platforms as the season progresses.

Most scams reported so far this season have occurred through social media websites and instant messaging platforms.

The excitement of football season should never come at the cost of your hard-earned money and safety. Keep these tips in mind when securing tickets to avoid getting scammed:

• Buy from official sources. Purchase your tickets from the university’s official ticket office, or this year’s official ticketing partner, SeatGeek. Every ticket sold on SeatGeek for Iowa Football home games is verified and trusted, and all tickets sold are backed by SeatGeek’s Buyer Guarantee.
• Be wary of social media sales. Avoid buying tickets from people you don’t know on social media websites or messaging apps. Scammers often create fake profiles on these platforms using fraudulent photos to advertise available tickets that do not exist.
• Spot the signs of a scam. Scammers typically tell you to pay in a specific way. They may insist you buy gift cards, wire money, use cryptocurrency, or request payment in other ways than through a bank or credit card account (such as Venmo or Zelle). They also typically pressure you to act fast before you have time to think about their request and suspect something fishy.
• Check ticket prices. If you aren’t buying from an official source, research the average price for a ticket to the game you’d like to attend. If a seller is offering a ticket price that’s too good to be true, it probably is.
• Don’t share sensitive information with strangers. Never share a photo of your student ID, driver’s license, or payment cards with a stranger, even if it’s to “verify” your identity. It could be used to steal your identity or perpetuate a scam using your name and likeness.
• Meet in person and pay securely. Arrange to meet in a public place to exchange tickets and payment. This reduces the risk of getting scammed online. Bring a friend along for added security or consider making the exchange near a local law enforcement agency.
• Report suspected scams. If you believe you may be a victim of a ticketing scam, you are strongly encouraged to report the crime to the University of Iowa Police Department by calling (319)-335-5022.

The Griswold Tigers football team and coach Seth Lembke have not had the season that they had planned for. The Tigers have dealt with the injury bug this season and with their tough schedule the Tigers fell to 0-5 after last Friday nights home loss to Stanton/Essex 70-46. The Tigers had a good game plan to start the game and trailed by just 2 points going into halftime. After the break the Vikings made some adjustments to open the scoring up and the rout was on coach Lembke said his team didn’t match the Viking intensity.

The Tigers are a young team with no seniors this year, so Coach Lembke is looking to finish this year with momentum and take that into next season as well.

This Friday the Griswold Tigers travel to East Mills to battle the Wolverines on their homecoming night and Coach Lembke knows the difficulty for being the opposing team on homecoming night

For the Tigers to get that first win of the season Coach Lembke says it all comes down to one main key for his kids to execute

The Tigers will kick off at 7:00pm Friday night at East Mills Wolverines. Listen to the full interview with Coach Lembke below.

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