By Jordan Hansen
[email protected]

Former Iowa defensive back Brett Greenwood leading the swarm of Hawkeye football players out of Kinnick’s tunnel is a scene that will likely remain forever with those who witnessed it.

He served as an honorary Iowa captain during the game and was also present during the coin toss.

Greenwood, who was an accomplished defensive back at Iowa from 2006-10, collapsed during a workout in 2011 and suffered an anoxic brain injury caused by heart arrhythmia. Doctors had to put him in a medically induced coma and weren’t sure what his outlook would be.

His family was told he would never see or walk again, according to a post on Hawkeyesports.com.

However, Greenwood has made slow but steady progress in the four years since and has worked with Iowa’s strength and conditioning staff over the last five months.

“Words can’t describe that whole thing,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said after the Hawkeyes’ 27-24 win over Pitt. “I think the will, the determination, that Brett Greenwood has exemplified since 2011, I think some of that rubbed off on our team tonight.”

Flanked by former Hawkeye linebacker Pat Angerer and strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle, the untold hours Greenwood has put in came to fruition on Sept. 19 at Kinnick.

“I don’t think there’s many college coaches who would do that for a former player,” Angerer said about Doyle in a tweet. “Being a Hawkeye is pretty damn special.”

Earlier in the year Angerer posted a video from inside the Iowa football facility showing Doyle and him training with Greenwood, and the former linebacker has been a large part of his rehabilitation over the last months.

Winning against Pittsburgh, of course, made the moment sweeter in hindsight for all involved. That Greenwood was able to make his way out with limited assistance is nothing short of incredible.

“We’re at a point now where he’s walking fairly well with a walker,” Greenwood’s father, Dave Greenwood, said to Hawkeyesports.com during the week leading up to the Pitt game. “Progress continues, and we’re pretty happy about it.”

No players currently on Iowa’s team played with Greenwood, but Angerer and Dave Greenwood both addressed the team on Sept. 18.

Their words weren’t lost, and it was obvious the current crop of players understood the importance behind the moment.

“We wanted to play for Brett,” senior Iowa center Austin Blythe said. “It was pretty special watching him walk out there when he was told he was never going to walk again.”

Follow @JordyHansen for news, updates, and analysis of the Iowa football team.