Talk about a hard-luck story.
After never starting a game at Iowa, Aaron Mends (pictured, blocking punt) had earned a starting job at outside linebacker during practice this spring. With football being the cruel mistress that it can be at times, the Hawkeyes announced Friday night that Mends “will miss an extended period of time due to injury.” The program offered no details as to the specific nature of the injury, although it’s believed to involve the knee.
According to the school’s release, the fifth-year senior suffered the injury during the final week of Iowa’s spring drills.
Mends was a three-star member of the Hawkeyes’ 2014 recruiting class. He was the highest-rated linebacker in Iowa’s class that year.
After taking a redshirt as a true freshman, Mends has played in 38 games the past three seasons. A baker’s dozen of those appearances came during the 2017 season.