Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | spring 1999

SPRING 1999
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Cover Story:
The Bells of Iowa State

Feature:
Driving Dr. Carver

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A WINNING SPIRIT

Growing up, Todd Bandhauer always imagined when it would be like to be a college quarterback. He dreamed of throwing the winning touchdown on the final play of the game and defeating his school's most bitter rival. And of course, he dreamed he was the starting quarterback on a bowl-bound team.

But Bandhauer didn’t go to a football factory like Nebraska or Florida State. Instead, he became an Iowa State Cyclone, where in his four years in Ames he endured 35 losses and just nine victories.

Not exactly what dreams are made of.

But Todd Bandhauer says he wouldn’t trade his experiences at Iowa State for anything. That’s a lot to say for someone who four years ago had never even heard of Ames, Iowa.

“I haven’t regretted my decision to come here, not for one second,” says the Florida native. “I can honestly say that. It has been a great experience.”

For Bandhauer, that experience came on and off the field. A first-team academic all-Big 12 selection, he was one of only 18 players selected this year for an $18,000 National Football Foundation (NFF) Post-Graduate Scholarship.

“I was surprised they picked me,” Bandhauer says.

He shouldn’t be so surprised. The scholarship is based equally on athletic and academic success as well as the player’s community service. The mechanical engineering major holds a 3.64 cumulative grade point average and plans to pursue a PhD in engineering, now made possible through the NFF scholarship.

Bandhauer’s success in the classroom is obvious. But how can a quarterback who won just nine games in four years be a success? Cyclone head coach Dan McCarney told the Des Moines Register why he thinks his senior quarterback was just that.

“He’s the type of young man every father would like to have as a son,” McCarney said. “All I can base that on is the 24 years I’ve been around college football. He’s just a joy to be around. He’s hungry to learn. He’s never satisfied with his performance. He goes out and tries to play every down like it’s his last one.”

By his own admission, Bandhauer is driven and doesn’t accept defeat easily. Still, he is the quarterback, the guy who attracts all the media after each win or loss. In those situations, Bandhauer doesn’t hold anything back.

“I’m not one to make excuses,” he says. “I’m sick and tired of people making excuses.”

His attitude has made it more difficult to accept the last four seasons.

“I just love playing on game day,” Bandhauer says, “and it really hit me against Kansas (season and career finale for Bandhauer): I knew this was never going to happen again. That I wouldn’t be playing with my buddies ever again on the football field.”

In his last two seasons, Bandhauer proved what type of player he was. After seeing limited action in both his freshman and sophomore years, he became the only ISU quarterback to finish back-to-back 2,000-yard passing seasons. His total of 5,234 career yards ranks second on the school’s all-time list. He is first on the all-time list for touchdown passes (40), second in completions (404), and third in total yards (4,633).

Those stats and his competiveness have attracted the attention of scouts as a possible back-up quarterback in the NFL.

“I think I have a shot to get into a camp,” Bandhauer said. “But if the NFL doesn’t work out I have plenty of other options.”

Records notwithstanding, Bandhauer’s fondest ISU football memory was on a momentous September day.

“Beating Iowa (27-9 in Iowa City) and standing on the field afterwards – I’ll never forget that moment,” he says. “Iowa had a lot of talent, but we were the better football team that day.

“That was a huge win for our program. That will really help out in our recruiting in the state.”

That’s Bandhauer. His Cyclone career may be over, but he continues to be an Iowa Stater through and through. Never mind that he didn’t know where Ames was in high school. Never mind his home is 1,400 miles away. He will remain a Cyclone for the rest of his life.

Come next fall, if he can, he will make his way to Jack Trice Stadium on game day. And while he looks forward to tailgating before the game, it will be strange not to be suited up.

“I’ll miss playing here,” he says. “I’m proud to be a Cyclone.”