Another week of NFL football is in the books, and with it brought some huge plays and performances from former Iowa football players.
This week, it was former Hawkeyes currently playing in the NFC North division that made some huge plays in big games to lead their teams to wins. It isn’t shocking to see these former Hawks making splash plays in the NFL, as they’ve been doing it for years since leaving Kirk Ferentz’s program.
In this week’s Hawks in the NFL recap, we’re going to be taking a trip to the NFC North and to the defending Super Bowl champions to talk about the big games, performances, and plays from some former Iowa stars in the NFL.
Jack Campbell shines in primetime
Jack Campbell had a huge night in the Detroit Lions‘ 38-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. The third-year linebacker had eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack of quarterback Lamar Jackson in the win. But his biggest play of the night came late in the first.
The Ravens were facing a fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line, trailing 14-7. Jackson kept the ball on a read option and rolled out to his right. Campbell diagnosed the play right away, made a beeline for Jackson, prevented him from throwing the ball, and brought him down for a sack. It was a monster play for Campbell, leading directly to the Lions‘ win. He’s turning into a superstar linebacker in Detroit.
TJ Hockenson finds the end zone
The Minnesota Vikings destroyed the Cincinnati Bengals 48-10 on Sunday, and tight end TJ Hockenson was a big part of it. The former Hawk had five receptions for 49 yards and a late five-yard touchdown reception to put the finishing touches on the victory. It was the best game of the 2025 season for Hockenson and his first time finding the end zone this season.
The Vikings are relying on Hockenson to play a major role in the offense, especially with star running back Aaron Jones on injured reserve and starting quarterback JJ McCarthy dealing with an injury. Minnesota will need the star tight end to play well this season if it wants to accomplish its goals in 2025.
Cooper DeJean continues to impress
Cooper DeJean had another strong day in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ crazy 33-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams. For the second week in a row, DeJean set a new career-high in tackles, picking up nine of them against the Rams. He also had a tackle for loss in the win. DeJean played all 66 defensive snaps in the game for the Eagles, showing he has the trust of the coaching staff to play in big moments.
After a stellar rookie season, DeJean is bringing his game to the next level. He’s playing a ton of snaps, wrapping up on tackles, and providing decent coverage. The turnovers and splash plays will come, but the coaching staff has to love what they’re seeing from the second-year pro so far in 2025.
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