By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – My initial plan was to write about Mark Gronowski since he is the Iowa football team’s new starting quarterback and nowhere does the spotlight shine brighter than at quarterback.

Gronowski was among 14 Iowa players on offense that met with the media on Wednesday.

He spent abut 25 minutes answering all sorts of questions about topics ranging from his health – he feels great by the way – to his four seasons playing for South Dakota State where he won two FCS national titles to now playing under Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester.

There is certainly plenty of material to write in Gronowski’s case, and I was all set to do just that until interviewing Iowa junior running back Jaziun Patterson.

Though, he barely speaks above a whisper, Patterson’s message about loyalty and staying the course came through loud and clear as he met with the media on Wednesday.

In this age of NIL and the transfer portal in which many college athletes bolt at the first sign of disappointment or adversity, Patterson is different.

The Deerfield, Florida native has resisted the temptation to enter the transfer portal despite having spent almost all of his Iowa career ranked no higher than third on the depth chart.

Patterson has certainly shown flashes as a Hawkeye, including rushing for 86 yards in a win at Iowa State in 2023. He turned a 3rd-and-1 into a 59-yard touchdown run on Iowa’s first possession of that game.

He also rushed for 312 yards last season and is expected to play a key role at running back this coming season now that Kaleb Johnson has moved on to the NFL.

Patterson has been listed as the No. 2 running back throughout the spring and summer behind fellow Florida native and close friend Kamari Moulton.

So it isn’t as if Patterson has just been wasting away on the depth chart.

But he also hasn’t ever been the clear-cut starter and he might never be considering that Moulton is only a sophomore.

With Patterson, we’re talking about a kid that reportedly had multiple scholarship offers coming out high school from schools that include Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Arkansas, Michigan, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska and Oregon among others.

He could’ve easily become self-entitled and self-centered with that many offers, and yet as a Hawkeye, Patterson has just kept grinding, working and competing and never once has he seriously considered transferring.

“You don’t leave hard things,” Patterson said Wednesday.

Patterson seems to understand that playing college football is supposed to be hard, especially at the highest level.

Life is hard in many cases.

Patterson knew that being an Iowa running back would test his patience and loyalty, and he was ready to face those challenges.

“That comes with anything in life that you want,” Patterson said. “You’re not going to get everything off the bat. You have to put your head down and work and grind for it.”

Asked where that mentality comes from, Patterson said:

“It’s always how I’ve been raised, an underdog. You’ve got to keep that mentality regardless of your circumstances and situations.”

When Patterson made a commitment to Iowa in high school, he really meant it because his word means something.

“I’m committed to this program and this program was to committed to me,” Patterson said. “So I don’t see myself shying away from nothing. When it gets hard, a lot of people shy away from that. I don’t shy away from hard things. That only builds character.”

While the transfer portal continues to be an escape route for thousands of student athletes, Patterson appreciates the value in finishing what you started.

“I can’t really speak on other guys and their situations or what they feel or what they’re going through in their situation,” Patterson said. “But I feel confident in my situation. As time goes on, I’m getting to build on things I can build on for the rest of my life.”

Former Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts was mostly responsible for recruiting Patterson out of Florida.

However, Betts has since moved on to a new position as running backs coach for the New York Giants.

Patterson had mixed emotions about Betts leaving. He was happy that Betts was given another opportunity to build on his coaching career, but sad to see him leave because they had built a strong relationship dating back to the recruiting process.

Omar Young has since replaced Betts as the Iowa running back coach, and Young has quickly earned Patterson’s respect.

“He taught us a better way cut and I feel like all of us in the running back room are at a better level at cutting than we were a year ago.,” Patterson said.

Patterson has gained about 25 pounds since becoming a Hawkeye and now carries 210 pounds on a muscular 5-foot-10 frame.

But even gaining weight has been hard for him.

“At first, it was hard,” Patterson said. “I didn’t really know the tweaks and gimmicks, but as I got older I learned. I matured. I was able to know how cook more at home and more home-cooked food, and take more protein and hydrate more.

Patterson, of course, also benefits from getting three meals a day from the Iowa football team’s training table.

So, he’s got it pretty good as a Hawkeye and he knows it.

The never-ending battle for playing time goes with the territory and Patterson believes how he handles this battle says a lot about how he will handle the battles that come with everyday life.

He understands as an Iowa football player what it means to be a part of something that is bigger than himself.

Iowa is fortunate to have him, on and off the field.