An Open Letter To Craig Brackins:

As an alumnus, fan and ISU basketball and football season ticket holder, I have great pride in my university. I have very fond memories of my time at Iowa State. I often hear others say how their time in college may have been the best time of their life.

I’m not sure I can go that far; I am very lucky to have a wonderful wife and three great daughters, one who is now at Iowa State. What I can say is that my time at Iowa State — meeting new people who became lifelong friends, going to basketball and football games, taking part in the campus-wide Veishea festivities — were all very, very good times.

But looking back, one of the moments during which I was most proud was that last week of school before graduation.

I recall how proud I was of myself for sticking with it and graduating. That diploma — and job experience gained through the university — led to a great career.

I can’t imagine, Craig, what must be going through your mind right now.  You seem to have the world by the tail. A potentially tremendous professional basketball career may await.

I trust Coach Greg McDermott to counsel you to make the best decision for you and the basketball program. That’s right, not only must you be mindful of what is right for you, personally, but also what is right for the basketball program to which you made a commitment.

We all sense the great things McDermott is doing at Iowa State. He’s been dealt some bad cards along the way. He’s had to make some tough decisions, too.

But my sense of it is that he’s made the decisions that were best for the program. Clearly, some of those decisions were not good for him personally. But he made them, and slowly but surely, most of us can see how things are improving.

With the players who McDermott has committed to Iowa State, most of us can see that great things are in store for us all. Craig, we want you to continue to be a part of that future. We want you to be here when “it” happens. It will happen.

But most of all, after it happens, you will also have the opportunity to share in something very, very special — beyond basketball. It’s a bond that thousands of us share. You can become a graduate and alumnus of Iowa State University. It’s a thing that’s hard to explain, but it is as real and good as goodness can be. I want you to experience that, too.

So good luck with your deliberations. I will trust you to make a good decision that will take everything into account. I will accept your decision and support it, whatever it is.

But know this: if you leave now, you may never again get the opportunity to experience things that many only dream of, few ever achieve, and many of us look back on in very fond remembrance.

Rick Robinson

Granger, Iowa

ISU Class of 1987