ORLANDO, Fla. — In football, there’s rarely a time when a player receives praise on a play where they missed a tackle. 

But after Iowa defensive back Koen Entringer whiffed on his initial attempt to tackle Michigan wide receiver Semaj Morgan on a punt return during the first quarter of the 2023 Big Ten Championship, the redshirt freshman didn’t let his error go unchecked.

Seconds later, Entringer showed off his impressive athletic abilities by quickly getting off the turf and sprinting 90 yards down the field to push Morgan out of bounds just before he could make it into the endzone. 

Iowa would go on to lose that game, 26-0. Once Entringer checked social media following the game, he expected to receive criticism from fans and was surprised when he received just the opposite. 

“I don’t know what year this Iowa player is, but he has an open invitation to my team all day,” former NFL tight end and current head coach of the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks Anthony Becht posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

I don’t know what year this Iowa player is but he has an open invitation to my team all day… I need 22 of this guy! LOVE IT! https://t.co/czyzleP2Im

— Anthony Becht (@Anthony_Becht) December 3, 2023

Becht’s post was viewed nearly 2 million times and received over 10,000 likes since being posted, and the attention toward Entringer didn’t stop there, as videos of the play were shared to the X and TikTok accounts of both the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports. 

“It’s definitely a teachable moment,” Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods said “I think, for all levels of football, it’s a metaphor for life, right? Like when you mess up, you get up, and you bust your tail and finish.”

For Entringer, however, he was more disappointed in missing the tackle that would have set up the Wolverines at their own five-yard line.

“That entire game, I was really mad that I missed a tackle,” Entringer said during a Dec. 29 media availability. “It’s cool that I got all that recognition, but I’m more focused on trying to make that tackle the next time that opportunity arises.” 

While Entringer was disappointed initially that he missed the tackle, he had teammates like Iowa starting cornerback Jemari Harris there to support him and give him props for saving the touchdown.

“I watched him the whole way down, and just the fact that he never quit — That’s something that’s going to pop up on film,” Harris said of his teammate.  

Entringer said he was surprised by the amount of attention the play got and said that it was just a testament to how Woods and the rest of the Iowa coaching staff prepare players.

“I think that it just kind of shows the type of players that are here at the University of Iowa, and I’m just happy that I’m able to showcase that we’re just a bunch of hardworking guys who just want to win,” he said. 

Moving forward, Entringer said he’s using the momentum he gained at the end of the regular season to boost his level of play heading into Iowa’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl matchup against Tennesee and beyond. 

Hailing from Ypsilanti, Michigan, Entringer backed up starting free safety Quinn Schulte most the year and finished the regular season with seven tackles — four of which came in the season opener against Utah State—and mostly saw action on special teams and when Iowa’s defense came out in dime packages. 

Entringer credits Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker for improving his skillset as a defender this season. 

“He’s moved me around at different safety positions, and that’s helped me understand the game of football better and our defense,” he said. 

Heading into next season, as Schulte and starting defensive back Sebastian Castro’s future plans with Iowa remain unclear, Entringer has the possibility of making a bigger impact in Parker’s defense. 

“Things I want to improve on is I want to be able to play man-to-man a little bit better, and just becoming a better football player and finding different ways I can help my football team.”