Logan Manderfield — like many Iowans — loves the Iowa Hawkeyes.

That’s just one reason Manderfield’s family says the 13-year-old from Waucoma, Iowa, is looking forward to the football game this Saturday.

Manderfield will be the Kid Captain for this weekend’s game against Ohio State at Kinnick. The Kid Captain program selects children who are current or former patients at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital to be recognized at each game during the football season.

At age 1, Logan was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder in which the body does not produce enzymes to build and repair muscle and causes progressive muscle weakness. It also affects the heart and lungs.

Lyndsey Manderfield, Logan’s mother, said he uses a wheelchair for longer distances, but he is generally able to move without one. However, he is unable to play contact sports — but that doesn’t stop Logan from getting involved with his school teams as a manager, she said.

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“He really enjoys it,” she said. “He’s a numbers guy. He’ll rattle off statistics about a football game that was played three years ago, so it’s right up his alley to be a manager.”

Saturday won’t be Logan’s first encounter with an Iowa football player. Logan learned he would be one of the 13 Kid Captains this season from Iowa linebacker Josey Jewell himself.

Jewell is from Decorah, Iowa, which is located not too far from the Manderfields’ home, Lyndsey said. The family hosted a 5K to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for the last two years and through some connections, got Jewell to visit Logan and get to know him at their 5K.

To tell Logan that he had been chosen to be a Kid Captain, the family friend asked Jewell to break the news to Logan over FaceTime. It’s moments like these that the program has given the Manderfields, Lyndsey said, that has shown her the Hawkeyes are more than just football players and coaches.

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“For them to take a few minutes out of their day to talk to kids that look up to them, that says a lot about their character, and the program, and the university,” she said.

Logan said he looks forward to being able to go to another game after touring the stadium during Kids’ Day at Kinnick in August.

“I’m pretty excited to see all the players and have 75,000 people cheering for me,” he said.

Part of being a Kid Captain provides an opportunity to reach thousands of people and raise awareness about Duchenne, said Don Manderfield, Logan’s father.

Most of all, watching Logan walk onto the field and watching his son’s joy is an experience Don said he will revel in.