To the Editor:

I am writing concerning my compliments to the Daily for the number and quality of articles pertaining to Iowa State tailback Troy Davis. I like to read ’em.

I do not know Troy personally, but he is in my geology class and once in a while he’ll give me a nod. I think that’s pretty cool. From what I have seen, he is a good guy and he deserves all the recognition he can get.

At my house, we have ESPN, and I get sick and tired of the way they constantly brush by Iowa State athletics. They laugh at Troy, and barely mention him. They call him a long shot for the Heisman Trophy, and that fires me up!

I want a real reason why Troy cannot contend. This year, Davis has run for more than 2,000 yards and he’s only a sophomore. Does that count for anything?

Troy is not the only victim of scrutiny; all of Iowa State athletics are. Iowa State teams simply do not receive the credit from the national media that they deserve.

I’d bet my right arm that if we could change the football team’s name to Notre Dame, Troy would win the Heisman hands down, even if the team lost every game during the year. I don’t want to change the football team’s name, but the way our teams are treated is just not fair.

I’ve been going to ISU football games since birth, even the ones when the weather was thirty below zero and only about nine thousand other people were there. (I got to sneak in beer for my dad and friends and sing, “We Are Cyclones” with the cheerleaders.)

I was there when Dwayne Crutchfield knocked himself out after jumping with all of his heart to score an Iowa State touchdown. I was there when we upset Barry Sanders and Oklahoma State in a blizzard, and I was there when we beat Nebraska.

I had just about grown tired of Iowa State football, no matter how die hard I am, but then came Troy Davis.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the rest of the guys on the team, but Troy is who kept me faithful.

Keep writing those interesting articles, even if you think you write too many. I like to read about Troy Davis, and I think a lot of other people do too.

Robert Brecht

Freshman

LAS