Ep 71: Gael, Warrior, Hawkeye, and Maverick- David Tann

Gael → Warrior → Hawkeye → Maverick → ?

Moving during high school could be rough. Walking on to a Big Ten football team would be intimidating. Getting switched from offense to defense would be challenging. Moving halfway across the country to a new university would be downright hard. David Tann took each move like a handoff; which if you watch his game film, you know that he ended up taking it to the house.

This week’s Moonlighter David Tann put almost as many miles on the car as he did points on the scoreboard. Moving from Saint Edmond in Fort Dodge to Cedar Rapids Washington for high school and then on to the University of Iowa before ending up at Colorado Mesa. His stellar high school career as a running back earned him a preferred walk-on spot at Iowa but he ended up watching games as a defensive back. A move to Colorado Mesa kept him on defense until injuries at running back led coaches to discover the special talent they had. So special, in fact, that David had 50 touchdowns (44 rushing and 6 receiving) for the Mavericks.

“I’m a gamer”

In this episode, Neil and David go all the way back to their time together in youth sports and how coaches and hard worked shaped David as an athlete and a man. The guys discuss some of the challenges David faced in making his way to Colorado Mesa and how he took advantage of getting his shot on offense during his last 3 years. David’s mental toughness and competitive drive helped him persevere with the changes and challenges he faced as a football player and young man.

Check out episode 71 as Neil Flattery catches up with former classmate David Tann - one of the best running backs (and the best hair) in DII football last season.