Iowa tight end Zach Ortwerth didn’t think he would be on the field – much less have a ball spiraling toward him. Yet there he was, a true freshman from St. Louis Missouri, more than 200 miles away from his hometown beneath the bright lights of Kinnick Stadium. 

The Hawkeyes were up just a field goal against Rutgers, needing a victory to get one step closer to the Big Ten West title. With starting tight end Luke Lachey and backup Steven Stilianos sidelined due to injury, Ortwerth found himself lined up alongside Iowa left tackle Mason Richman. 

A snap of the ball. A dash up the field. In less than two seconds, Ortwerth’s black jersey was all alone amid a sea of green turf. All he had to do was secure the catch – something he’d never done in his young college career. 

“When I saw [the ball], I was a little [like] a deer in headlights,” Ortwerth said with a smile. 

Once caught off guard, Ortwerth is now as comfortable as ever on the field. Nearly a year after his first collegiate catch against the Scarlet Knights – a 54-yarder that wound up being Iowa’s longest completion of the game – the tight end was once again alone near midfield, called into action after injuries to starters. 

Filling in for Lachey and fellow tight end Addison Ostrenga in Iowa’s game against Wisconsin on Nov. 2, Ortwerth again made a 50-plus yard grab in the second half, leaping to snag quarterback Brendan Sullivan’s throw and putting the Hawkeyes within scoring range. 

This time around, the sight of the incoming pass didn’t set off any alarm bells. The tight end admitted he was a little nervous when left the ground, knowing he could take a hit from a defender, but maintained confidence that he was put in the situation for a reason. 

“That just comes down to the preparation that I’ve been trying to put in,” Ortwerth said.

Sports were a constant for Ortwerth growing up. His father Craig was a defensive lineman at Drake while his mother, Joyce, earned a spot in Northern Illinois University’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a volleyball player. Basketball was his main sport while football was only played in the backyard with friends. Craig had one rule – no organized football until high school. 

Ortwerth said this mandate was passed down from generations, as Craig’s dad – a former defensive lineman for Missouri – laid down the same law. 

“That was just the case, it was kind of a family thing,” Ortwerth said. “I mean, I didn’t really have much to play football, so when they said, ‘No,’ I was kind of, like, ‘OK, I’ll keep playing basketball.” 

While Ortwerth stayed on the  hardwood for all four years at St. Louis University High School, he finally popped on a football helmet his freshman season, starting on the JV squad. His next season was cut short before it even started due to a broken collarbone. 

With only one season of organized football under his belt, Ortwerth got the attention of several schools after a stellar junior season on both sides of the football. The tight end caught 20 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns while also recording 76 tackles, including 14 for loss. 

Ortwerth said recruiters had reached out to him the fall of his junior season, and added that when they continued messaging him during basketball season, he realized football might be in his future. By the summer of 2022, Ortwerth had offers from Memphis, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and UConn, but couldn’t forget Iowa’s first impression. 

On Ortwerth’s visit to campus, he met former Iowa tight end and current Detroit Lion Sam LaPorta, who grew up less than an hour away from Ortwerth in Highland, Illinois. After talking with LaPorta and meeting other coaches and players, Ortwerth was sold on the program making him a better player and person.

“If you don’t enjoy the culture, you’re not going to enjoy your time here,” Ortwerth said. “It could be the best program in the country, but if you hate it there, you’re not going to enjoy it.” 

The difficulties of college football arrived early for Ortwerth. He can still recall the blocking drills in his first preseason camp. Ortwerth’s position mates all matched his 6-foot-3,  240-pound frame – if not bigger. The tight end realized the details meant everything. 

Whether it was pad level of route running, Ortwerth learned to take note of not just his own film, but those of his teammates – comparing what the starters did with his own performance. No matter how minute the information, it was worth writing down. No matter how harsh the criticism, it was all meant for his growth. 

“Once you get those mindsets, I think that was huge,” Ortwerth said. “Just listening to those little conversations.” 

While it was still a surprise to find himself on the field so early in his Iowa career, Ortwerth doesn’t lack in preparation. Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz has caught notice.” 

“He’s now all of a sudden carrying a heavy load and it doesn’t seem to faze him at all,” Ferentz said. “He’s been the same guy since he’s been here, which I think is impressive.” 

Last year on his catch against Rutgers, Ortwerth ran for a few extra yards before getting caught from behind my two defenders. On his catch against Wisconsin, the tight end didn’t go down easy – evading a would-be-tackler before advancing toward the end zone. He doesn’t have a touchdown to his name yet, and Ortwerth knows he still has plenty of room to improve, but his journey is already in bloom. 

“It’s my pace where I kind of had to step up,” he said. “Just taking that advantage when the opportunity presents itself.”