Cyclone Keith Krepfle: Iowa Time Machine February 4, 1952

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 4, 1952, Iowa State Cyclone and NFL football player Keith Krepfle was born in Dubuque. After starring at Iowa State, Krepfle gained distinction by catching the first touchdown pass in Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl history.

After growing up and dominating on the gridiron in Dubuque at the high school level, Krepfle arrived at Iowa State in 1971 and immediately contributed to a program starving for success. He hauled in 94 passes for 1,368 yards and 15 touchdowns during his three-year collegiate career, leading the Cyclones to their first bowl game appearance in the 1971 Sun Bowl. His performance against third-ranked Nebraska in 1972, when he caught two touchdowns, announced his arrival as a Big Eight force.

The Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the fifth round of the 1974 draft, but Krepfle chose to sign with the Jacksonville Sharks of the upstart World Football League instead. The guaranteed contract offered security that the NFL could not promise a mid-round draft pick. His gamble collapsed when the Sharks folded just fourteen games into the season, the franchise bankrupt and players unpaid.

Krepfle signed with Philadelphia in 1975, spending his first two seasons behind established tight end Charlie Young. When the Eagles traded Young to the Los Angeles Rams before the 1977 season in exchange for quarterback Ron Jaworski, Krepfle became the starter. At Super Bowl XV in 1981, Krepfle caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Jaworski to secure his place in franchise history. #Iowa #OTD #History #Football #NFL