In the weeks following Iowa’s victory in the Holiday Bowl, Hawkeye safety Geno Stone was taking a ride with his childhood friend and current safety for the Indianapolis Colts, Malik Hooker, that helped him realize something — he was ready for the NFL.

Stone, who had the opportunity to come back for his senior year with the Hawkeyes, decided to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

“I was kind of back and forth the whole time,” Stone said. “I did say I was going to come back for sure at a certain point throughout the process. And then I looked at things a little more in-depth, and I thought everything felt right just to leave with the situation I was given. I definitely don’t regret it now.”

Hooker, like Stone, is a New Castle, Pennsylvania, native. Hooker played safety for Ohio State before becoming a first-round selection by the Colts in the 2017 NFL Draft. The two have known each other since Stone was in middle school.

Now, Hooker’s advice helped lead Stone to the next path of his football journey.

“He said he saw me playing in the NFL and he saw me playing right away,” Stone said. “I trust his word, whatever he says. He’s been doing it at a high level in the NFL, he’s a starter, a first-round pick. He’s definitely been a great help throughout this process.”

Since Stone was 3 or 4 years old, he said he’s wanted to be a professional athlete. He grew up around a family that loved sports. As a kid, he said he was the water boy for his high school’s football team.

During his junior year of high school, Stone realized his dream was becoming a real possibility.

“I noticed how much I had improved my game and my football knowledge,” Stone said. “I moved to safety that year. I had college coaches coming to see me, saying I was a guy they could see playing at the next level. After that, I was like, dang, I have the opportunity to make my dream come true. I knew I really wanted this bad. I knew I wanted to play in the NFL.”

After a three-year career at Iowa that saw him emerge as a leader and a playmaker in the secondary, Stone is now projected to be a mid-round pick in this year’s draft. He’ll be watching the draft from his home in New Castle with his mother and some other immediate family while trying to maintain social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stone met with almost every team during the NFL Scouting Combine and has met with teams over the phone in the weeks since. Regardless of where he gets drafted, Stone is ready to contribute in the NFL.

“I definitely think I’m ready to play in the NFL,” Stone said. “Play at a high level like that. Just knowing myself, I know I can compete with those guys. I feel like I showed that day in and day out and on Saturdays every time I stepped on the field. I feel like I’m a safety that’s versatile. I can play in the box or in the slot or anywhere on the field.”

Much like what he saw in his college recruiting process, Stone’s doubters have voiced their concerns leading up to the draft. On his draft profile on NFL.com, Stone’s size and speed are put into question, as is his athleticism.

These are all things Stone has heard before. He doesn’t mind if he keeps hearing them.

“Keep doing it,” Stone said. “That’s something that keeps me motivated. People keep doubting me, and I’ve been proving them wrong my whole life. Regardless of my size, my speed, whatever it is — my football IQ is off the charts. I play way faster than whatever time you’ll find out there. I keep up with guys that run 4.3 just because of the way I take angles. My game speed is way faster than everyone else’s, I feel like.”