TAMPA — While the Iowa football team’s focus this week has been on facing Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, there’s always time for a little fun.
On Sunday, several Hawkeye players took on Busch Gardens in Tampa, a theme park with 335 acres of open land for a multitude of animals to roam, paired with roller coasters, arcades, and restaurants.
Five Hawkeyes rode along in a truck through the safari area of the park, learning about a range of animals — antelopes, rhinoceros, and giraffes. Each athlete took turns feeding one giraffe, as it lowered its neck towards the group of visitors in the truck.
Redshirt freshman defensive end Drew Campbell especially enjoyed feeding the giraffes, posing for selfies as he held a piece of lettuce near the giraffe’s outstretched tongue.
“I just try to make the best of it,” Campbell said. “You only get to do that how many times in your life, so who knows when I’ll do it again.”
Sophomore defensive back Ty Hudkins also enjoyed the safari and the entire experience. Hudkins expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to visit the park.
“It’s just really cool, this opportunity to come with the team and do this, and kind of get a behind-the-scenes access tour of this,” Hudkins said.
After rolling through the safari, it was time for the Hawkeyes to jump on some amusement park rides. The first ride the crew went on was called the Serengeti Flyer, a swing ride featuring two hanging seating platforms that swing in opposite directions.
Following the swing ride, the five players met up with the rest of the team for the final ride of the day, the SheiKra. This coaster features an extremely steep drop, creating the perfect opportunity for some awesome reactions.
Campbell was the most skeptical of the coaster among the team, saying he doesn’t necessarily fear the height of the ride, but more of how it makes him feel after the fact.
“I just don’t feel the best afterwards,” Campbell said. “Just a little light-headed, but it’s still fun.”
Follow the Iowa Hawkeyes football team on their trip to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay as they take some time for fun and games before the ReliaQuest Bowl against Vanderbilt.
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The clear-cut favorite ride for the group was the Iron Gwazi, a partially wooden coaster that provided the scariest experience for the Hawkeyes. Hudkins, Campbell, Jack Laughlin, Terrence Smith, and Drew MacPherson all said that the ride was their favorite of the day.
The trip to the theme park was not only an experience for the players to enjoy themselves and take their minds off the game, but also gave them a chance to connect on a more personal level.
“I thought we definitely got way closer,” Smith, a freshman receiver, said. “It was fun for me to spend time with my teammates and see them on a different level, see their true colors, how scared they really were. They always act like football players, so tough, but it’s good to see their true colors out here.”
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