A long way from home.

For four juniors on this season’s Iowa State football squad, the phrase describes the Autumn of 1998.

Fortunately for defensive lineman Robert Brannon, receivers Robert Brown and Damien Groce and defensive back Javon Daniels, there will be a few familiar faces in Ames to help them adjust to their new home.

Brannon, Brown, Groce and Daniels have all transferred from their junior colleges on the West Coast to play for the Cyclones this season. In fact, they’ve all transferred from the same junior college in San Bernadino, California.

San Bernadino Valley Community College rode this corps of talented young athletes to a 9-2 record and a berth in the 1997 Southern California Bowl, where it beat West Los Angeles 16-6.

Coach Dan McCarney hopes the 1998 Cyclones can ride their influx of junior college talent to similar success.

Brannon, who led Valley in tackles and sacks, was the anchor of a defensive line that allowed just 68.5 yards per game on the ground and held opposing backfields to under 30 yards on three occasions. Brannon and his line gave up just 2.1 yards per carry and allowed only 5 rushing touchdowns all season. Compare this to a 1997 Cyclone line which conceded 232 rushing yards per game, 5.4 yards per carry, and 42 rushing TDs and it’s easy to see why the services of Brannon were sought.

“Our defense against the run must improve,” McCarney said. “It’s our #1 problem.”

Brown and Groce formed the core of the San Bernadino air attack, compiling 720 and 785 yards in receptions, respectively.

Brown, considered one of the top 10 JuCo receivers on the West Coast, amassed over 1100 yards and nine touchdowns in his two seasons at SBVCC and maintained a 17.2 yard per carry average on the ground. Brown also led his conference in yards per reception in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.

The numbers Cyclone quarterback Todd Bandhauer put up last season encouraged Brown to give ISU a shot.

“That’s the #1 reason I came here [big passing numbers]. Another big reason is they lost a lot of receivers last year, so that gives me a chance to step in right away and contribute.”

Groce, who served as the the team’s punt and kick returner in addition to catching passes, picked up 1242 all-purpose yards last year and led SBVCC in scoring with 90 points. Damien received first-team all-state and all-Foothills Conference recognition his sophomore season.

Javon Daniels, the final member of the San Bernadino Four, high school teammate of Damien Groce and cousin to Charles Johnson of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was a Street and Smith’s preseason All-American and was named first-team all-Foothills Conference as a sophomore. He tallied 40 tackles and broke up 12 passes to lead a defensive backfield that forced over three turnovers per game.

Daniels said he and his teammates hope to make an immediate impact here at Iowa State.

“Hopefully we can all work together- not just the JUCO’s, but everybody. Hopefully, we can all come together as a team.”

“We just want to bring something to the table,” Brown added.

The San Bernadino Four appear comfortable in their new surroundings. Having former teammates on hand seems to help.

“It made it a lot easier to come here,” Brown said. “But it hasn’t taken long to get to know the other guys here.”

Brown is also quick to point out that football and friends aren’t his main reasons for coming to Iowa State.

“I came here first to get my degree. Football is important to me, but I can’t go home without that degree.”

He maintained a 3.5 GPA at San Bernadino Valley and hopes to keep it up here at ISU, where he’s studying Sociology.

So while the Cyclone community eagerly awaits another football season, four talented transfer students acquaint themselves with the community and prepare to impress on the gridiron. They may be miles from home, but it looks like Ames will do just fine for a couple of years.