By Rich Palzewic
Contributing Writer
SUAMICO – After a successful career at the University of Iowa, former Bay Port standout Jack Plumb is getting his shot at extending his football career.
After being drafted by the D.C. Defenders (United Football League) in its 10-player draft class last summer, Plumb, who started 14 games during his Hawkeyes’ career at offensive tackle, is heading to the UFL’s training camp in Dallas, Texas.
“I’m incredibly grateful to have another opportunity,” Plumb, who has been working out at Synergy Sports in Green Bay for the past three months, said. “It’ll be a little more than a year since I last time put on the pads. Talking to some guys, they said, ‘Play as long as you can because once you’re done playing, you can’t ever put the pads back on again.’”
Plumb said football is unlike other sports when extending your career.
“There’s always recreational league basketball and beer league softball, but there’s nothing for football,” he said. “I have to make the most of it while I can.”
Leading up to the draft
Once Plumb finished his playing career at Iowa after the 2022 season, he had a pair of opportunities in the NFL — including from his hometown team, the Packers.
“That was an awesome experience,” he said. “It’s tough to put into words how cool that was — having the family there, being the hometown kid growing up a huge Packers fan, being able to see my last name on the back of my practice jersey, wearing a helmet and being in the locker room.”
A week after his Packers tryout, Plumb flew to Atlanta for a similar opportunity with the Falcons.
“Both teams said, ‘You look good, but we just don’t have a roster spot for you — stay in shape,’” he said.
Moving forward later into the summer, Plumb said a few days before the 2023 XFL (Extreme Football League) Draft, he got a text message from a couple of coaches in the XFL — which at the time, was also competing with the USFL (United States Football League) for air time and players, but eventually, the two leagues combined to form the UFL.
“They asked if I had any interest in playing in the XFL,” he said. “The next day, the offensive line coach from the Defenders called me and said, ‘Hey, we drafted you and look forward to meeting you.’”
UFL Training Camp started on Feb. 23, and Plumb said his goal is to compete for a roster spot and eventually have another shot at the NFL.
“It’s tough when you’re not able to achieve your dreams as quickly as you want,” the 24-year-old Plumb said. “You start having the conversation with yourself about chasing your dream compared to giving that up and entering another career. I’m hoping to put some good film out there this season and get another chance in the NFL.”
Plumb said Dallas is the hub for all eight UFL teams.
“It’s interesting how they do it,” he said. “They’ll keep all eight teams around the Dallas area — you’ll have your practice, meetings, lifting sessions there for the week, and then our team and the team we’re playing will fly out to wherever the game is that week. After the game, we return to Dallas for the week.”
The Defenders open the season on March 31 with an away game against the San Antonio Brahmas before opening their home portion of the schedule against the Houston Roughnecks in Washington D.C. on April 7.
All 10 of the Defenders’ regular season games will be broadcast on Fox, ESPN or ABC.
Iowa days
After playing tight end and starring on the basketball court and track and field scene at Bay Port, Plumb eventually chose Iowa to continue his academic and athletic career.
“It was fantastic — I’d do it all over again if I had to,” Plumb, who has a degree in enterprise leadership, said. “I feel like I had a good career and had some success on the field. Winning the Big Ten West Division in 2021 was cool and being able to go to the (Big Ten Conference) championship game was amazing.”
The Wisconsin Badgers are well known for their “Jump Around” celebration before the fourth quarter at home games, but Iowa also has an iconic tradition after the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium — the “Hawkeye Wave.”
First taking place in September 2017, when the stadium’s scoreboard hits zero, the more than 69,000 fans in attendance, along with the players and coaches, stand and wave in unison to the patients at the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Patients and their families can watch the game from the hospital’s floor-to-ceiling windows, including from the hospital’s top floor because of the view inside the stadium it offers.
“It’s awesome — it’s so cool,” Plumb said. “I might be a bit biased, but I think it’s the best tradition in sports. In the middle of training camp, before the season even started, we had a kids’ day where all the seniors got to walk out with a kid captain so you could meet them and hang out with them. On game days, you see all the people (in the hospital) waving back at you – it means so much to them and helps them keep fighting (for their health).”