Former Iowa Hawkeye Aaron Graves tackles fatherhood as NFL draft approaches
THEY CAN CLINCH THE SERIES IF THEY GET IT DONE. THEY’RE BACK AT THE REC PLEX. ERIC GRAVES HAS SPENT THE PAST FOUR YEARS AT IOWA SLAM, AND DUE TO THE TURF AND BEING ONE OF THE TOP STUDENT ATHLETES IN AMERICA AS THE NFL DRAFT APPROACHES, HE’S ALSO TACKLING A NEW CHALLENGE. KCCI COLIN HOLT HAS THE STORY COMING TO THE HAWKEYE FOOTBALL FACILITY HAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT FEEL TO IT. NOW FOR ERIN GRAVES. INSTEAD OF WORKING OUT FOR AN UPCOMING IOWA FOOTBALL SEASON, HE DOESN’T KNOW WHERE HE’LL BE PLAYING THIS FALL OR WHAT COLORS HE’LL BE WEARING. THE THING THAT STAYS TRUE THROUGH EVERYTHING IS LIKE IF YOU JUST WORK HARD AND YOU KNOW, DO THE THINGS THAT YOU’VE BEEN TAUGHT MY ENTIRE CAREER, AND ESPECIALLY REINFORCED HERE AT IOWA, LIKE I THINK THINGS WILL WORK OUT IN A WAY THAT GOD HAS PLANNED OUT FOR ME. SO ORIGINALLY FROM SMALL TOWN DAYTON, IOWA, AARON GRAVES LED HIS TEAM TO A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AND BECAME A FAN FAVORITE FOR THE HAWKEYES AND A LEGIT NFL PROSPECT. 37 TACKLES AND FIVE SACKS AS A SENIOR. IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, GET CALLED AT THE NFL DRAFT, WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN TO YOU? YEAH, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE. ALL THE WHILE, AARON IS JUGGLING BEING A FULL TIME NFL PROSPECT WITH BEING A DAD. HIS SON GREYSON, IS NOW FOUR MONTHS OLD. THIS IS GREYSON WHEN HE WAS JUST ONE DAY OLD, KEEPING TABS ON HIS DAD’S BIG GAME AGAINST NEBRASKA. HOW MUCH HAS BECOMING A DAD CHANGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON EVERYTHING FOOTBALL LIFE, THE NFL, I MEAN, IT’S IT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE, BUT I ALWAYS TRIED TO SEPARATE FOOTBALL FROM MY SELF-WORTH AND SELF-IDENTITY. AND I THINK HAVING A SON KIND OF DOES THAT IN THE SAME WAY. BECOMING A DAD WHERE IT’S LIKE, OH, THERE’S SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME HERE. LIKE, LIKE I’M, I’M DOING THIS THING AND I’M, I’M CHASING MY DREAMS AND THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT AND ALL THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, LIKE THAT’S, THAT’S UP HERE. FOOTBALL IS DOWN HERE AND THE GRIND DOESN’T STOP FOR AARON. HE’LL START VISITING NFL TEAMS ON SUNDAY HOPING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS PROSPECTS OF GETTING PICKED IN TWO WEEKS. IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME LIKE IN FIFTH GRADE, THAT I WOULD BE HERE RIGHT NOW WITH MY FIRST BORN AND LIKE MARRIED AND TRAINING TO PREPARE FOR THE NFL DRAFT, LIKE I TOLD YOU, YOU’RE CRAZY. KELLEN HOLT KCCI, IOWA’S SPORTS LEADER. GRAVES IS PROJECTED TO BE
Former Iowa Hawkeye Aaron Graves tackles fatherhood as NFL draft approaches
Updated: 10:39 PM CDT Apr 9, 2026
Former Iowa defensive end Aaron Graves is learning a new type of grind. “If you would have told me, like, in fifth grade that I would be here right now with my firstborn and, like, married and training to prepare for the NFL draft,” Graves said. “Like, I told you, you’re crazy.”Graves’ son, Grayson, was born four months ago, one day before his final regular-season game as a Hawkeye. KCCI sports reporter Cullen Holt went to find out how Graves is juggling being a full-time NFL prospect with being a dad.» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
IOWA CITY, Iowa —
Former Iowa defensive end Aaron Graves is learning a new type of grind.
“If you would have told me, like, in fifth grade that I would be here right now with my firstborn and, like, married and training to prepare for the NFL draft,” Graves said. “Like, I told you, you’re crazy.”
Graves’ son, Grayson, was born four months ago, one day before his final regular-season game as a Hawkeye.
KCCI sports reporter Cullen Holt went to find out how Graves is juggling being a full-time NFL prospect with being a dad.
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