Iowa kicker Drew Stevens earns late-season buyout amid year’s resurgence

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As Iowa and Nebraska battled it out in one of their classic, tight football games, Iowa kicker Drew Stevens waited eagerly on the sidelines for an opportunity.

Stevens has had plenty of triumphant moments during his Hawkeye career, including the game-winner against Northwestern in 2023 and just setting a school record with five field goals last weekend against Maryland.

However, despite all these outstanding accomplishments, one game stands out in his mind: the 2023 Nebraska contest.

Stevens blocked two field goals in that game, causing head coach Kirk Ferentz to bench him in favor of Marshall Meader. The match went down to the final seconds and it was Meader who emerged victorious, stunning the crowd at Memorial Stadium.

“It sucks when someone else does your job. Honestly, it sucks, especially when you train all year round,” Stevens later admitted.

A year later, Stevens, in his old job, jumped at the chance to topple the Cornhuskers again.

Tied at 10 with just seconds to play in regulation, Nebraska, with the ball, had a chance to win the game. But the Hawkeyes weren’t about to let their opponents get away with it.

As Cornhuskers defensive end Dylan Raiola approached the pocket, third-year defensive end Max Llewellyn met him at the line of scrimmage and ripped the ball out of Raiola’s hands. Llewellyn emerged from the pack with the ball, but the crowd seemed confused.

After a brief discussion, the officials confirmed the recovery, and the Hawkeyes now had the ball at the Nebraska 36-yard line with 20 seconds to play.

After a couple of short runs to set up the field goal, Stevens ran onto the field and made a 53-yard attempt. The crowd cheered nervously in anticipation, but Stevens was too focused to notice.

“I’m losing consciousness,” Stevens said. “It’s hard to explain, but as soon as you leave that sideline, you just act on what you practice.”

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule tried to freeze Stevens by calling a timeout before his first punt. Even though Stevens knew the try would not be scored, he kicked it anyway and the ball sailed through the uprights. Stevens knew at that moment that he would not miss a real shot.

“I thought, ‘I got this,’” Stevens said. “I knew the wind wouldn’t hurt my ball.”

The weather – 20 degrees throughout the game – turned out to be unimportant.

His next attempt went inside the right post, sending the sold-out Kinnick Stadium crowd into a frenzy. Stevens and the rest of the Hawkeyes quickly raced to the end zone to receive the Heroes Trophy for the ninth time in 10 seasons, a celebration that had been planned for the second quarter.

“We talked about leading the team to a trophy if we win it,” Stevens said. “And then Max actually takes the ball away from Mahomes Jr. (Raiola).”

Despite the intense pressure, Stephen’s teammates had complete confidence in their kicker.

“I trusted him completely,” Llewellyn said. “Drew is that guy. He’s a man. I knew he was going to throw that punch.”

“I have complete faith in Drew,” added fourth-year defensive lineman Ethan Herkett. “He’s a tremendous player and he’s been clutch.

The win meant a lot to the entire Iowa team, including its seniors, but it especially meant something to Stevens, who finally earned “redemption” after a disappointing 2023 performance.

“I was looking forward to this game just because, number one, I don’t like Nebraska,” Stevens said. “They always argue with us before the game. They just get in the way and ruin our warm-up. It was really good.”

Stevens credits special teams coordinator LeVar Woods for helping him mature as a player throughout his career. During the postgame celebration, Woods grabbed Stevens by the shoulder pads and pulled him into an emotional hug.

Woods told Stevens before the season that he felt like a junior, like “a tiger that needed to be let out of its cage.”

“I let other people drive me,” Stevens said. “I let it fuel me because after last season I felt like I had doubts. So yeah, it was nice.”

Ferentz also credits Stevens for showing strong maturity after the ill-fated 2023 Nebraska game.

“He’s a completely different player than he was last November, and all his teammates know that and the way he performs, so everyone has confidence in him,” Ferentz said. “He deserves it.”

Stevens shares the same thoughts.

“I’m a leader,” Stevens said. “Last year I was just a lazy junior, and this year you can’t do that because you’re trying to be a role model for the new kids in the class.”