Former Hawkeye and NFL veteran defensive back Micah Hyde returned to Iowa City for his charity golf event on Friday. All proceeds will go directly to the families of patients at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. 

Hawkeye radio play-by-play announcer Gary Dolphin served as the emcee for the event and opened the media session with a brief interview with Hyde. Hyde discussed his foundation and inspiration for the charity golf event. 

“I got together with Joe Sulentic,” Hyde said. “I took Joe’s class back when I was in college. It was in that class that I came up with Imagine For Youth. This whole time, we’ve been having conversations over the last decade about doing a big event here.”

Back in April, Hyde met with Professor Sulentic’s class to discuss plans for this event, and the students are doing the leg work. Hyde was extremely excited to provide an avenue for students to get experience in the field. 

“It’s a huge learning experience,” Hyde said about the students putting on the event. “I wish that when I was back in the class, someone would have put this on because I would have definitely participated in it.”

The event kicked off with the celebrity putting contest, where kids who spent time at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital picked four players each to compete in the contest.

The event featured many current and former Hawkeye football players.

Current Hawkeye quarterback Mark Gronowski won the contest, placing his putt within just a couple of inches of the target hole on the practice green.

The list of Iowa football legends was headlined by Washington Commanders defensive lineman Carl Davis, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jay Higgins, wide receiver Tevaun Smith, and Houston Texans defensive back Desmond King. 

“I actually saw Micah in the playoffs, we (Baltimore Ravens) played Buffalo,” King said about how Hyde invited him. “He said, ‘I’ve got my charity golf classic coming up in July, come out to it.’ I was like, ‘alright cool, I’ll be there.’”

“I’m excited to be out here with everybody,” King continued. “It was good to see some familiar faces as well, and some coaches out here too.”

Perhaps the most excited participant in the event was Professor Sulentic. He specifically remembers Hyde’s idea for his foundation and how he executed on the plan in college, and still has the original paper that the Hawkeye legend wrote.

“I had been cleaning out my office because I moved,” Sulentic said. “I had his original paper that I saved, so I texted him the cover of it.”

Sulentic also expressed how great of an opportunity it was for his students to get a real life experience in what they learned from his class.

“There’s nothing more valuable than a real learning experience,” Sulentic said.“The real learning takes place when they hear no.” 

In planning and executing the event, the students from Sulentic’s class gain valuable knowledge about how to coordinate charitable events and potentially start their own foundations in the future. 

While Hyde and INSPYR Sports and Entertainment, a company his foundation has worked with for the last six years, helped them with the event, the students brainstormed ideas and contacted participants, sponsors, and other businesses involved with the event. 

“It’s amazing,” Iowa incoming third-year student Lucy Rammer said about the experience. “I love that I get to participate in classes where we’re doing something in the real world and we’re able to help all these children living in the Children’s Hospital.”

“It’s been awesome to work with Micah, too,” Rammer continued. “He’s just a great guy, and the Imagine for Youth foundation has been so supportive and amazing to the community, and it’s awesome to be out here today.”