Growing up, Xavier Nwankpa was known for his competitiveness in gym class.
“He always ruled the school when it came to P.E. classes,” his mother, Amy Erickson, recalls.
Despite his competitive nature, Nwankpa was known for his kindness and mature demeanor in the classroom.
“I think every single parent-teacher conference had a positive thing to say about him, every single time,” Erickson said. “I was searching for things for them to be, like, ‘Do you have anything negative for me to say about him?’ He was such a great kid.”
Teachers also praised Nwankpa’s timeliness and eager attitude.
“He was just very punctual,” Erickson said. “ He was always raising his hand, always had to be first in line, first person to have the answer.”
All of these traits transitioned to athletics, where Nwankpa was destined to be a star from a young age.
His father, Frank Nwankpa, was a record-setting track standout at Iowa State, while Erickson played several sports in high school and coached softball at Des Moines East High School for seven years.
Xavier played several sports throughout his youth, including football, wrestling, and baseball.
Following Nwankpa’s fourth-grade year, he and his mother moved to Pleasant Hill – an eastern suburb of Des Moines — so Erickson could be closer to her future husband and his children.
Despite the move, Nwankpa continued to flourish academically and athletically, setting the stage for one of the most legendary careers in Iowa high school sports history.
Ram Jam
Nestled on the outskirts of nearby Altoona is Southeast Polk High School, a sparkling building that closely resembles a corporate office building. Just east of the school is the now-vacant football stadium, which was replaced after the 2022 season but still holds memories of Nwankpa’s prowess.
Nwankpa attended high school at Southeast Polk from 2018-22, starring on the school’s football team and enjoying a successful career in track and field. He also played baseball, but dropped the sport after his freshman season to focus on football and track.
Nwankpa entered his high school career with a quiet and reserved personality but he would leave the school as one of its most decorated athletes.
His all-around athleticism quickly caught the eye of head football coach Brad Zelenovich, who hoped Nwankpa could join an up-and-coming core of young players and eventually capture a state championship.
“He was somebody that we had our eyes on when he was a young kid coming up through our youth program and junior high,” Zelenovich said. “He was somebody that had some natural size and ability, and we were definitely aware of him prior to high school.”
Though initially noticed for his speed on offense, Nwankpa quickly began playing on both sides of the ball during his freshman season after some injuries on defense.
“We pulled him up, and he started playing with us as a freshman at corner, ” Zelenovich said. “And then as his career progressed, he was somebody that we felt like we needed to get on the field as much as we could.”
By his sophomore season, Nwankpa was playing on all three phases of the game – offense, defense, and special teams. Despite the workload, his performance didn’t suffer. He collected 51.5 tackles, three interceptions, and 494 all-purpose yards.
“There was no hesitation on his end. He was eager to step into that role,” Zelenovich said.
Nwankpa continued to produce during his junior season, compiling 41 tackles, six interceptions, two touchdowns, and 794 all-purpose yards. His performance carried the Rams to the state championship game, where they were soundly defeated, 42-14, by suburban rival Ankeny.
With the taste of defeat still bitter, Southeast Polk entered Nwankpa’s season with added motivation. A title was more than possible, it was an expectation.
Despite missing three games due to injury, Nwankpa posted 26 tackles, four interceptions, and a career-high 845 all-purpose yards.
One of Nwankpa’s memorable moments during his high school career came in the season opener against crosstown rival Dowling Catholic. Both teams entered the contest atop the Class 5A rankings and were among the favorites to capture a championship.
In front of a local television audience on WHO-13, Nwankpa quickly stole the show with a receiving touchdown in the second quarter and a sensational interception in the end zone late in the fourth.
But his best highlight was yet to come.
With only seconds remaining in regulation, the Rams and Maroons were deadlocked at seven apiece and overtime seemed likely. Southeast Polk had the ball on Dowling’s 38-yard line and had enough time for one heave to the end zone before the extra session.
With the Maroon defensive front in his face, quarterback Jaxon Dailey rolled out to his left and lobbed a final prayer to the end zone. Standing near the goal line, Nwankpa fought through the Dowling secondary and made a leaping catch at the horn to clinch an improbable victory.
“I’ve been around a decent amount of time, and football is a team game, but that night, he had an impact in all three phases, which is a pretty special performance,” Zelenovich said. “He was the best player on the field that night.”
Building on the incredible victory, the Rams steamrolled through the regular season with only one loss and once again found themselves in the state championship game.
Standing in their way was familiar foe Ankeny, the defending state champs. The Hawks’ roster boasted plenty of talent, such as future Iowa State quarterback JJ Kohl. Ackney was the only team to defeat Southeast Polk during the season, a 21-7 triumph.
Though the game was expected to be close, the Rams rode their suffocating defense to a 24-7 victory, securing the program’s first state championship.
Nwankpa’s highlight of the contest came late in the fourth quarter.
With Ankeny down by 10 and desperate for points, Kohl lobbed a desperation heave into double coverage. The ball fell directly into Nwankpa’s arms, and he returned the pick deep into Hawks territory to set up another Southeast Polk touchdown.
“This caps off everything,” Nwankpa told The Des Moines Register after the game. “But this is probably the best thing that could’ve ever happened.”
Though Nwankpa had finally captured the elusive title, the next battle was just beginning.
Handling the hype
Following his successful high school career, Nwankpa switched his focus to his college decision, which generated much attention throughout the state of Iowa. He was listed as a five-star recruit by 247Sports and ranked No. 11 in the nation for the class of 2022.
Nwankpa earned scholarship offers from over 30 schools, but narrowed his decision down to three schools by the end of 2021 – Iowa, Ohio State, and Notre Dame were the finalists. He set his commitment date for Dec. 8 – his 18th birthday.
“[Zelenovich] instilled in us that, you know, this is part of his job, and this is what he’s supposed to do, and helped us out with a lot of that,” Erickson recalled.. “[Nwankpa’s] phone was blowing up, like right at midnight, and guys were calling left and right. So I think it got a little bit overwhelming, not only just the phone calls but also the mail.”
In front of a live national television audience on CBS Sports HQ, Nwankpa teased the crowd at Southeast Polk High School by reaching for an Ohio State hat. He nearly put it on his head but switched to the Iowa cap as his face broke into a proud smile. Jamming the gold cap onto his head, he sent the crowd of around 100 people into a frenzy.
Nwankpa’s announcement became a historic milestone in Iowa football recruiting, as he became the highest-rated player to ever commit to the Hawkeye program. He was also the first five-star Iowa commit since defensive end A.J. Epenesa back in 2017.
Nwankpa told the Iowa coaching staff he would play for the Hawkeyes during Iowa’s official home visit two days before publicly announcing his commitment.
“We were all just sitting around the table, and I remember Coach [Jay] Niemann asked him, ‘What are your plans?’ ” Erickson said. “He [Nwankpa] straight up said, ‘I think I’m going to become a Hawkeye.’ After that, there were a lot of hugs and high-fiving.”
Nwankpa cited Iowa’s development of defensive backs under defensive coordinator Phil Parker as one of the main factors of his decision. Not long before the announcement, star Iowa cornerback Riley Moss was named 2021 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, becoming the fifth Hawkeye in the last 10 seasons to win the award.
“Five of the last 10 Big Ten DBs of the year coming from Iowa, being my home state, that’s crazy,” Nwankpa told the DI after committing. “Obviously, that doesn’t happen anywhere else. Credit to Coach [Phil] Parker for getting those guys right. That’s just where I wanted to be.”
Erickson also loved the family-oriented style led by Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.
“As a parent going into a big program like that, you know that your son’s going to be taken care of and so on that aspect, I feel like he made the best decision,” Erickson said.
Flying high
Rather than finish his final semester of high school, Nwankpa opted to enroll at Iowa in January, a common practice for many recruits looking to gain more experience with their new teams before fall camp.
Historically, first-year athletes are the most inexperienced players on a football team for several reasons. Not only do they have to adjust to the rigorous lifestyle of a Divisio I athlete, they also have to find time for their studies.
But Nwankpa was different.
The junior has always been known for having a mature mindset, even all the way back to his early days in a Hawkeye uniform. Nwankpa’s approach to the game has garnered praise from his teammates.
“The recruitment doesn’t mean anything once you get here,” Nwankpa told reporters in 2022. “You still have to earn your spot, show your stripes. You have to get better every day.”
“He was a pretty mature kid when he got here,” fifth-year defensive back Sebastian Castro said. “I wouldn’t even say he changed a lot for real, he just learned more football.”
Fifth-year linebacker Jay Higgins noted Nwankpa was far from pretentious.
“He did a really good job of just putting his head down and working. It was really easy to accept him with open arms,” Higgins said.
Higgins also praised Nwankpa’s strong work ethic and willingness to get better in practice.
“He’s one of those guys who acts a little bit older than what he is. He’s just coachable,” Higgins said. “Like for a young guy to be able to look at coach Parker and get constructive criticism and say, ‘Yes, sir,’ and go fix it. It takes a special individual to do that.”
Nwankpa battled a thumb injury last season, making it harder for him to give hand signals to his teammates. Despite this, Higgins praised Nwankpa’s vocal leadership on the field.
“I love turning around and listening to Xavier,” Higgins said. “He had to change his signaling, using one hand. It brought us closer together.”
Those qualities don’t surprise Zelenovich.
“Initially, he was pretty reserved,” Zelenovich said. “And then as he gained some maturity and felt more comfortable, the leadership qualities came out throughout his career.”
Those qualities led Southeast Polk to a state title and have carried over to Iowa City with the Hawkeyes.
Nwankpa played in all 13 games during his freshman season, primarily on special teams. The safety collected four solo tackles and often helped down Tory Taylor’s booming punts near the goal line.
During a game against Iowa State in Week 2, Nwankpa had a chance for a critical scoop and score, but couldn’t make the play. The Hawkeyes ended up losing that game, 10-7.
Despite the tough defeat, fourth-year defensive end Deontae Craig quickly recognized Nwankpa’s willingness to learn from his mistakes.
“Sometimes in special team meetings, we’re going over formations and sometimes that clip will come up again,” Craig said. “Everybody gets a laugh out of it, but he faces it, and I know if that happens again, he won’t make that mistake again. He’s a gamer.”
After a disappointing 7-5 regular season, Iowa was invited to the Music City Bowl against Kentucky, who beat them the year prior in the Citrus Bowl. With several players opting out of the bowl game, Ferentz decided to give Nwankpa his first career start at strong safety.
The decision worked well for the Hawkeyes.
Nwankpa had 12 tackles in the game, including seven solos. But the highlight of the day came in the second quarter when a Kentucky pass sailed right into Nwankpa’s arms near midfield for his first career interception.
And if that wasn’t enough, Nwankpa followed his blockers all the way to the end zone for his first career touchdown, capping off a dominant debut and sending excitement through the Hawkeye fanbase.
“A week or two before that, we weren’t sure if he was still going to just do special teams,” Erickson said. “And then we found out that he was going to be starting, and then he gets a pick-six. I bawled like a baby.”
Building off of the strong performance in the Music City Bowl, Nwankpa played in all 14 games during his sophomore season in 2023, starting 12 of those at strong safety. Nwankpa totaled 42 total tackles, one sack, and one interception, which came in the season opener against Utah State.
Nwankpa’s best outing came against Michigan State on Sept. 30. He tallied eight tackles and one pass break up, helping Iowa to a 26-16 victory.
The Hawkeyes finished the season at 10-4, capturing the Big Ten West for the third time in program history despite a dismal offense that ranked dead last in the FBS in terms of yards per game. Iowa lost the Big Ten Championship Game and its bowl game by a combined score of 61-0.
Nwankpa, though, had established himself as one of the cornerstones of the vaunted Hawkeye defense.
“He’s just absolutely great,” Ferentz said. “I know we don’t get a lot of five stars, but I would never know that with him in the building. He’s a quality young guy, really does a nice job that way, and it’s been fun to watch him improve each and every turn.”
Forging ahead
With the 2024 season rapidly approaching, Nwankpa is thankful for many people in his life who have helped him succeed on and off the field.
He credits Zelenovich and the Southeast Polk football program for helping him grow as a person and plans to return for a game during Iowa’s bye week. The Rams are aiming for their fourth state title in a row after winning two more after Nwankpa’s departure.
“He [Zelenovich] really projected me on the field and off the field and helped me grow up and mature as a man,” Nwankpa said.
Nwankpa also credits his parents for always being there for him and guiding him through life’s biggest challenges. Prior to his first-ever home game at Kinnick Stadium, he gave his mom a hug during the traditional pregame Hawk Walk, a moment she will always cherish.
“I cried when he came out and gave me a hug before entering the stadium,” Erickson said. “It means more to me than I think he will ever know.”