Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On December 27, 1959, legendary Hawkeye defensive end Andre Tippett was born. A consensus All-American in 1981, Tippet went on to a Pro Bowl NFL career after helping the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten title and the school’s first Rose Bowl appearance in two decades.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Tippett landed at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls after graduating from Barringer High School in Newark, New Jersey. A standout performer for the Panthers at the junior college level, an offer to play at Iowa soon followed. A three-year letterwinner for the Hawkeyes, Tippett’s ferocious tackling set him apart. In 1981, he helped lead the Hawkeyes to their first winning season, their first Big Ten title, and their first Rose Bowl in two decades. He was part of a defense that allowed only 129 points, the lowest total since 1965 and 9th-best in school history, and allowed only 86.9 rushing yards a game, which still stands as the school record. The 1981 Iowa defense allowed 253 total yards a game, the fewest since 1959, making it the 4th-best defense in school history in terms of total yards.
Tippett was a two-time first-team all-Big Ten and a team captain in 1981. He holds the Iowa record for tackles for lost yardage in a season (20 tackles for 153 yards in 1980). Tippett gained further distinction by being voted a defensive end on Iowa’s all-time football team in 1989, gaining induction into the University of Iowa Varsity Hall of Fame, and as a College Football Hall of Fame selection. Drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1982 NFL draft, Tippett went on to dominate in the NFL.
A member of the NFL’s 1980s all-decade team and a five-time Pro Bowl selection, Tippett recorded the highest two-season sack total by a linebacker in NFL history, totaling 35.0 sacks across 1984-1985. His 18.5 sacks in 1984 are the third most by any linebacker in a single season, while his 16.5 sacks in 1985 are tied for the sixth most by any linebacker in NFL history. Tippett holds the Patriots' franchise record with 100.0 career sacks. He also owns the top three single-season sack performances in Patriots history (18.5 in 1984, 16.5 in 1985, and 12.5 in 1987). He ranked seventh on the all-time sacks list and third among linebackers at the time of his retirement following the 1993 season. Over his career, Tippett recorded 100 sacks in 151 games, an average of 0.662 sacks per game. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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