Heinz poised to challenge in Iowa secondary

By Phil Monson

Working construction over the summer, at times Humboldt’s Jamison Heinz was a one-man wrecking crew.

The 2020 Humboldt High School graduate hopes to do just that on the field for the University of Iowa football team this season as he enters his third year with the Hawkeyes. The six-foot, 210-pounder moved from free safety to cornerback over the past year and is looking to earn a position on special teams as well as work his way up the depth chart on a stout Hawkeye defensive unit expected to be one of the nation’s top defenses again this fall.

“I worked construction for a guy this summer in Iowa City. We just finished putting in some windows the other day. I was also jack hammering a wall. It had been hot on those days as well, like it was all summer,” Heinz said. “It was just him and myself working on these projects, but I enjoyed doing it.”

“Off-season workouts have been tough. They are always tough. The weight lifting part of it hasn’t been as challenging as the speed and conditioning work, which has been fairly difficult over the summer,” Heinz said in an exclusive interview with the Independent on July 21.

Leading up to Iowa’s thrilling, 20-17 loss to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl last winter, Heinz made the most of his opportunity during practice sessions.

“I’ve gone from free safety to mostly cornerback. I’ve worked mostly at cornerback in practice. Even though I’m up to 210 pounds right now, and I’ve gained quite a bit of weight since I’ve arrived, I can move quick enough for coach Parker to have me play at cornerback,” Heinz said.

“Spring ball is a time where you increase your worth, you can say. I’ve gained quite a bit of knowledge with how we do things on defense. I feel I have moved up in the eyes of coach Parker,” Heinz said.

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