IOWA CITY, Iowa — Former University of Iowa student-athletes John Mickelson and Cy Phillips will serve as honorary captains when Iowa hosts Western Michigan on Saturday on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:40 p.m. (CT) and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
The Mickelson and Phillips families came together in 2017 to sell Iowa Wave shirts to help raise money for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. In six years, the community has generously donated approximately $2 million through the purchase of their shirts.
Both players — Mickelson as a senior and Phillips as a freshman — were on Iowa’s 2002 team that won a share of the Big Ten Championship and earned the program’s first Bowl Championship Series invitation (Orange Bowl).
Mickelson joined the Hawkeyes as a walk-on in 1999, which was Kirk Ferentz’s first season as Iowa’s head coach. Mickelson was also on the roster in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The West Des Moines native was a valuable team member in Iowa’s first bowl win under Ferentz (19-16 win over Texas Tech in the 2001 Alamo Bowl).
Phillips was on the Hawkeye roster from 2002-05. The quarterback from Hoxie, Arkansas, was one of two redshirt freshmen selected to the team’s Leadership Council in 2003. Phillips and the Hawkeyes went to four January bowl games during his career (2003 Orange Bowl; 2004 Outback Bowl; 2005 Citrus Bowl; 2006 Outback Bowl).
Mickelson and Phillips will accompany the Iowa captains to midfield for Saturday’s pregame coin toss. They will also be with the Hawkeyes in the locker room before and after the game.