AMES — It’s easy to exude toughness when running around, sans shoulder pads, making plays without the threat of contact.
But once the hitting starts? That’s when Iowa State offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl begins to ascertain which of his players are “about it” within his both mentally and physically demanding approach to success on the offensive side of the ball — and that time will finally come on Friday.
“Right now, for a lot of these guys, this is a different system,” said Roehl, who is back with the Cyclones after a one-season stint as the Detroit Lions’ tight ends coach. “And different can scare people, right? But this is an unbelievable challenge that they’ve grasped, attacked and it’s been fun to see their growth. You can’t run and hide in this system. You’re either about it or you’re not, and repetitions right now, it is what it is. Based on the rules and how we need to practice — we’re not in full pads yet, right. It’s just a pajama party out there and for us to accomplish what we want to accomplish, it starts (Friday) with real football.”
That’s when the hitting and hurting starts. That’s when hard-earned confidence meets humble self-sacrifice. That’s when ISU’s offensive players can begin proving they’re “about it” in Roehl’s toughness-based scheme, then back that commitment up throughout the remainder of fall camp.
“The film’s not gonna lie,” said transfer tight end Tyler Fortenberry, who along with quarterback Jaylen Raynor joined first-year Cyclones head coach Jimmy Rogers’ program after a stint at Arkansas State. “You can tell who’s afraid of contact and who’s not.”
So where does Fortenberry — who started his Division I career at Vanderbilt — fall on that pad-popping spectrum?
“Film’s not gonna lie,” the 6-4, 245-pound Brookhaven, Miss., native reiterated. “Y’all are gonna see.”
At least on Saturday morning, when the first hour of practice will be open to the media. But Roehl will already be compiling his who’s in, who’s out list immediately after contact enters the practice equation. And that goes for all the position groups — from offensive line to quarterback.
“I think you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Raynor said of adapting to an entirely new offense and his leadership style. “You’re in a game wth big people, little people, and they’re all coming to get you as a quarterback.”
Roehl said going to work for Lions head coach Dan Campbell and others forced him to thrive outside of his comfort zone and fueled immense personal growth. He frequently draws on examples gleaned from his one season in the NFL, which helped highlight how thin the margin is between winning and losing.
“Every day I was there there was something new, whether it was from a coach, a player, someone in the front office,” said Roehl, who served as North Dakota State’s offensive coordinator during two of its FCS national championship seasons before helping ISU notch a program-record 11 wins in 2024 under then-head coach Matt Campbell. “I mean, you were learning so much as a rapid rate. It was unbelievable for my growth. Not just offensively, but how to establish your roster. Personnel moves. There’s just so much that was learned.”
Want an example? Roehl furnished one.
“It was Monday Night Football, fourth and one,” Roehl said. “We ran a play, something that’s not in our playbook here, but ran a play to (wide receiver Amon-Ra) St. Brown. He then pitched it to (running back) Jahmyr Gibbs. It’s fourth and one, and the effort, finish, execution that they had to convert that first down to help us win that game was unbelievable.”
In other words, St. Brown, Gibbs and everyone blocking on that play was “about it.” Fully bought in. Not hiding, but hitting — just as his players will start doing on Friday as he watches them closely.
“Who’s gonna buckle up the chin strap, bite down on the mouthguard, and come off the ball with velocity?” Roehl said. “And I’m excited to see who responds, because there can be a lot of hooting and hollering without pads on, but who’s gonna be about it (Friday) at 10 o’clock?”
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