Steve Loney - 50 Years of Football

“It was great to be a part of that at Iowa State”

Season 10 opens with a guy who has a story or two to tell. Over the course of 45 years Steve Loney has seen just about everything at every level of football and always comes home to his passion for Iowa State football. Loney brings some of his favorite stories and insights from the sideline and to the Moonlight Graham Show. A native of Marshalltown, Loney’s coaching career has taken him nearly coast to coast, north to south, and back home again. Many of our Moonlighters either played for Steve Loney or crossed paths with him at some point. So while this is his first time on the podcast, this surely isn’t an introduction for many of our listeners.

“Everything that I did… was based on that goal”

Steve Loney went to Iowa State University to play football in 1970. He walked on to the ISU football team and was the only one of 16 walk-ons in his class that stuck around until his senior year. His playing days in the cardinal and gold were really just the start though. After finishing school, he served as a graduate assistant for the Cyclones in 1974. That season started a coaching tour that has taken him through stops in 11 different states and coaching offensive line, wide receivers, tight ends, serving as an associate head coach, and head coach. His career spanned high school football to the NFL. In 2005 Loney was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. His most recent post was as the Tight Ends coach with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017.

“You’re absolutely right about Gene Chizik”

Loney’s journeys connected him with some of the biggest names in coaching and the NFL over the course of his 18 different stops. He coached alongside Urban Meyer, among many others, and coached hall of fame talent. He has experienced the highest highs and winless seasons but nothing has ever diminished his love for the game. He has seen many changes during his tenure and while he has adapted to the game, he has held on to many of his beliefs in 40 years including linemen putting their hands in the dirt and using the quarterback sneak on 4th and short. Loney literally wrote the book on coaching offensive linemen.

“I was tough on ‘em but they knew I loved them”

Loney has been a Cyclone in 3 different decades and has many insights into the current state of the program. While he is absolutely invested in the Cyclones, his experiences across the country and in the NFL have given him a unique kind of credibility and perspective that few can appreciate. His relationships with his former players, including a few Moonlighters along the way, are what he values the most from his coaching career.

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