Former Iowa football star Micah Hyde returned to Iowa City on Wednesday to meet with a University of Iowa business class and brainstorm ideas for the upcoming Micah Hyde Charitable Golf Classic this summer at Finkbine Golf Course.
Hyde played for Iowa from 2009 to 2012, winning 2012 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year before being drafted in the fifth round. After a stint with the Green Bay Packers, Hyde peaked with the Buffalo Bills with two All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl. Upon retiring in 2024, Hyde has turned attention to giving back.
During the entrepreneurship class, taught by professor Joseph Sulentic, the students and Hyde discussed ideas for who they want attending the event, VIP accommodations, auction items, golf challenges, donations, and multiple other aspects of the event.
Carley Sanfilippo and Abi Hammonds of Inspyr Sports and Entertainment also discussed plans with Hyde and the students in class. Inspyr has worked with Hyde and the students throughout the planning process.
Hyde’s foundation, Imagine For Youth, was inspired by a group project he did during professor Sulentic’s Social Entrepreneurship class when he was at Iowa. After that project, Hyde decided to continue working on the charity’s business plan and launched it in 2015.
“It seems like Joe [Sulentic] is still running the same operation,” Hyde said about his experience with the class. “We’ve been talking over the last couple of years about doing something like this, and I’m extremely happy that it’s coming full circle. This is where the foundation started, and now being able to have this class run the event for the foundation that’s going to benefit the children’s hospital, it’s just an awesome event.”
Imagine For Youth provides resources for financially disadvantaged kids to succeed in academics and athletics. Hyde’s philanthropic experience has aided in planning events like this golf tournament.
“Anytime you’re doing some events, you’ve got to deal with weather, sponsors, transportation, and communication,” Hyde said. “There’s a lot of things that go into the event, so I think throughout the years of doing these events there’s always some hiccups, but that’s what makes the event special. You’ve got to keep rolling with the punches. Who knows, July 11, weather could come into play, but you’ve got to have a backup plan.”
The golf event will include Hyde’s former teammates and NFL players from Iowa, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa. Proceeds will support families of children at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Despite being away from the Iowa City community for so long during his playing career, Hyde still has love and appreciation for the support he’s gotten while organizing this event with Iowa students.
“It’s amazing,” Hyde said. “When it comes to this foundation, obviously starting here at the University of Iowa, but the way I’ve used this foundation as a tool to give back to my own journey also. So my hometown, Iowa, Buffalo, and one day giving back to Green Bay, that’s been my journey and how special the people are who helped me get to where I am today, so I want to give back to those communities and be able to bless the kids.”
As Hyde and his foundation have worked toward putting on this golf event, the students have played the biggest role as they are responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing the event.
Marina Mihura is a student in the class that Hyde is working with. Her interest in this project was sparked last semester when Sulentic first told her about the opportunity.
“I had Joe last semester, and he told me a little bit about the project,” Mihura said. “I’ve had some background in athletics, and I was like, ‘This is definitely something I want to do.’ It would be a super fun class, and he’s an awesome professor, so I jumped on the opportunity to take this class.”
Mihura also talked about what she does for the project and how Hyde and Inspyr have helped her and other students in the class.
“I’m looking more into the social media side,” Mihura said. “Just looking at templates, working on social media timelines because marketing and promotion is going to be such a big factor in raising the money we want to raise.”