What if one of Iowa football’s most accomplished offensive linemen eventually gets the chance to end his playing career exactly where it all began? For Brandon Scherff, a return to Kinnick Stadium for a ceremonial farewell could provide a fitting final scene to a football journey that started in western Iowa and reached the highest levels of the NFL.
Scherff, a Denison, Iowa, native, became one of the most decorated offensive linemen in Hawkeye history before the Washington Redskins selected him fifth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. He went on to establish himself as one of the league’s premier guards, earning five Pro Bowl selections during a professional career that also included a move to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022.
A one-day ceremonial contract with Iowa wouldn’t mean Scherff was returning to college football. Instead, it would be a symbolic opportunity for the former Hawkeye to retire as an Iowa player and receive one last ovation from the fans and community that watched him develop long before he became an NFL star.
From Denison to Iowa City
Scherff’s connection to Iowa runs much deeper than his college statistics.
Born in Denison, he attended Denison-Schleswig High School before choosing the Hawkeyes. He arrived in Iowa City as a highly regarded offensive-line prospect and gradually developed into the kind of dominant blocker Iowa has become famous for producing.
His breakthrough came during the 2014 season.
Playing left tackle, Scherff established himself as one of the most dominant offensive linemen in college football. He earned unanimous All-American honors and captured the Outland Trophy, an award presented to the nation’s top interior or offensive lineman.
That season effectively confirmed what NFL scouts were already beginning to see: Scherff had the physical ability, technique and toughness to play at the highest level.
A Fifth Overall Pick
Washington made the decision official in 2015.
The franchise used the fifth overall selection on Scherff, making him one of the highest-drafted offensive linemen in Iowa football history. Rather than needing years to prove himself professionally, he quickly became a regular starter and an important part of Washington’s offensive line.
His first Pro Bowl selection arrived in 2016.
Scherff eventually collected five Pro Bowl appearances, recognition that placed him among the most respected guards of his generation. For a position that rarely receives the spotlight given to quarterbacks, wide receivers or defensive backs, that accomplishment says plenty about the level he reached.
His style also made him difficult to overlook.
Scherff brought power to the point of attack, strong technique in pass protection and the physical mentality associated with Iowa’s offensive-line tradition. His work often created opportunities that appeared on someone else’s stat sheet.
A running back could find an opening.
A quarterback could get an extra second.
A drive could stay alive.
That was Scherff’s job, and he consistently embraced it.
The NFL Chapter Continued
After seven seasons in Washington, Scherff moved on to Jacksonville in 2022, joining the Jaguars and bringing considerable experience to another offensive line.
By then, his professional reputation was already firmly established.
But wherever the rest of his NFL journey ultimately takes him, Iowa remains the place where the foundation was laid. Scherff didn’t simply spend four years wearing a Hawkeye uniform; his entire football story is tied to the state.
That’s what makes the idea of a ceremonial return so compelling.
Picture Scherff walking onto the Kinnick Stadium field again, this time without another NFL season waiting ahead of him. Former teammates and coaches could be nearby, thousands of Hawkeye supporters could fill the stands, and the player who once protected Iowa quarterbacks could finally take a moment to appreciate everything that followed.
It wouldn’t be about adding another statistic to his career.
It would be about recognizing the journey.
One Last Walk Into Kinnick
A retirement ceremony in Iowa could celebrate far more than Scherff’s five Pro Bowls or his first-round draft status.
It could honor the Denison teenager who chose Iowa.
The Hawkeye who became an All-American.
The Outland Trophy winner who turned into the fifth overall pick.
And the NFL guard who spent years doing the difficult work that rarely receives enough attention.
Scherff’s career has been built one block at a time, and there’s something fitting about imagining that journey ending with one final walk through Kinnick Stadium.
If that day eventually arrives, Iowa wouldn’t simply be welcoming back an accomplished former player. It would be welcoming home one of its own.
After everything Scherff has accomplished, the perfect farewell might not require another game.
It might simply require one final appearance in black and gold, a packed stadium and a chance for Hawkeye fans to say what his career has earned:
Thank you for the blocks.
Thank you for the leadership.
And most of all, thank you for coming home.
