AMES — Iowa State’s defensive back room is loaded with talent, and at the top is T.J. Tampa.

Tampa entered the 2023 season as one of the highest-ranked cornerbacks in the nation. After a successful 2022 campaign, it was to no one’s surprise that Tampa was the next guy up to lead the Iowa State defensive back room.

Although Tampa got the results on the field, becoming a leader was a different beast altogether. For Tampa, it was no longer just about how good he was as a player; he had to become a role model as well.

“It feels like it hasn’t really clicked,” Tampa said before the 2023 season. “You know, I was ready for it. I had people in front of me that showed me the ropes.”

Tampa said he learned how to be a leader from the players before him. Mainly Anthony Johnson, who made it to the NFL, and Tayvonn Kyle, who now plays for Virginia. They showed him the ropes and were always there to answer any questions Tampa had.

“By the time they left, I was ready to take that next step,” Tampa said.

A big reason Tampa found success in the 2022 season was because he had Johnson in his corner. Johnson was an all-time great Iowa State defensive back and had experience all over the field.

Along with Johnson’s success as a player, Tampa also thought of Johnson as a friend. With how close the two were, seeing Johnson find success at the next level gave Tampa something to strive for.

“He came from the city I’m from, and to see him in the NFL right now, it’s like, ‘Yeah,’” Tampa said.

Tampa is still in touch with Johnson and is always down to listen to his stories about playing in the NFL. He is always looking for tips to improve, and Johnson is always looking to teach the guys after him.

One thing that Tampa wanted to focus on when moving into a leadership role was finding his own style of teaching. Even though he had great players before him, like Johnson, he knew copying their style of leading would not fit his personality.

Tampa is not as outgoing as some of the other players in the room, which he does not see as a negative. It just gives Tampa more areas to work on.

“I’m not as vocal, which I’m trying to be,” Tampa said. “I just like to lead by example.”

Tampa also has a talented crop of young players who push him every single day. Whether that means challenging him in practice or asking questions in the film room, they are always pushing him to get better.

On the other hand, Tampa is also pushing everyone else to improve as well. He is constantly bringing players together on and off the field to improve the room as a whole.

“I think he’s made the most growth in being a leader,” Darien Porter said. “[He is] getting all the corners together… just stealing time for all of us to improve and become more cohesive as a unit.”

Tampa hangs out with all the defensive backs off the field and outside of practice. Safety Beau Freyler also talked about how Tampa brings the whole room together by organizing events.

Tampa brings players together to watch film and improve. Tampa also got receivers and defensive backs together on occasion during the offseason to continuously work on everyone’s crafts.

“I admire him a lot, not only because he’s a great football player, but also because he’s a great human being,” Porter said.

As Tampa navigates the early part of the 2023 season, he is focused on just one thing: Helping the team become the best it can be.

Tampa showed a lot of maturity over the offseason. He realized what he needed to do for the team, which helped him become a better player and leader.

“I think he just grew up and realized, ‘Man, my why is my family, and my why is my craft,’ and just made a choice to go be great,” Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock said.

Tampa is close to his family. They supported him along the way and are his biggest cheerleaders on game days.

Especially close with his father, Tampa admires what his father has accomplished. The high standards that Tampa’s father held him to helped Tampa grow into the man he is today.

Tampa’s father also taught him the importance of perseverance and taught him to keep pushing, even when things got hard.

“He was always there for me, always caring, loving,” Tampa said. “Him and my mom were always there for me to make sure I got everything I needed no matter what.”

Tampa’s family was also there for him throughout his recruitment process, which turned out to be more intense than anyone would have thought.

Tampa originally visited Iowa State as a two-way player. He was looked at as a receiver, so he ran routes his first time attending a camp at Iowa State. However, he also ran some coverage plays. Whatever position he was in, he looked good because he was naturally athletic.

“He’s an athletic freak. He studies the game well, and being able to combine those two things makes a great player,” Freyler said.

Iowa State offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase knew he had the potential to be an athlete for Iowa State. Tampa saw that potential in himself as well.

Scheelhaase also saw the potential in Tampa to be a leader of whatever position group he became a part of.

“I knew two things about T.J.: Number 1, he was gonna work his tail off to go and be the best version of himself,” Nate Scheelhaase said. “Number 2, when he got here, you felt like this guy is about team.”

However, moving from wide receiver to cornerback was no simple task. It was a completely different challenge to play on the defensive side of the ball.

Becoming a corner meant that Tampa had to change the way he looked at the game and sharpen his skills even more.

“It’s different than being on the other side of the ball,” Heacock said. “You become reactionary. It has to be something you really want to do. It’s physical over there. You’re out on an island.”

Tampa was ready for the challenge.

Scheelhaase talked extensively with Tampa and his dad throughout the recruiting process. The main thing that Scheelhaase wanted to get across was that Tampa should trust his gut.

Tampa knew what he could do better than anyone, so it was up to Tampa if he wanted to make the switch to defensive back and join the Cyclones.

In the end, Tampa was sure that he could flourish as a defensive back.

“We all knew that it was best for him and for the team, and I don’t think he ever flinched,” Scheelhaase said. “You know, I think I tried to steal him back a couple of reps just to get him on the jump ball now and again.”

However, once Tampa made it clear that Iowa State was at the top of his list, a new powerhouse caught his eye. Tampa did not sign on signing day because he was also being heavily recruited by Georgia as well. Scheelhaase spent a lot of late nights trying to talk Tampa into signing with the Cyclones.

The last week before Tampa committed to Iowa State was the most stressful for Scheelhaase. Georgia was a great program, so Scheelhaase had to pull out all the stops if he wanted to get Tampa.

“I remember being on the phone with him early in the morning on signing day,” Scheelhaase said. “I remember I was calling him and not getting ahold of him and just being like, ‘Oh lord, what’s going on right now?’”

Tampa grew up in Georgia, so Scheelhaase expected that Georgia could steal him away if they wanted. Not only was it his home state, but Georgia was a solid program that had plenty of upsides as it started its path to a pair of national titles.

Scheelhaase stayed confident, as he did not get the feeling that Tampa was getting cold feet about signing with Iowa State. The looming threat of Georgia stealing Tampa was scary, but Scheelhaase knew that Tampa was making sure that his choice to become a Cyclone was correct.

In the end, Tampa made his choice and put his trust in Iowa State.

“We’re grateful for him and his family for believing in us,” Scheelhaase said.

Tampa’s choice paid off as he reached his highest peak as a Cyclone. Iowa State gave him the opportunity to be great, and he has done that and more.

Tampa’s new leadership role has also helped him continuously improve, one of Tampa’s best characteristics.

“He really grew up over the last year,” Heacock said. “He tried to perfect his craft. He really tried to embrace leadership.”

Heacock said that Tampa’s mindset is what sets him apart from the crowd. Tampa’s mindset of constant improvement is also something he hopes to instill in the future of the Cyclone defensive backroom.

Tampa always wanted to be the best, and now he’s close to that goal. Tampa has separated himself as the best corner on the Cyclones and one of the best in the entire nation.

“I think that part of maturing was saying, ‘I don’t wanna be just a corner, I want to be the corner, I wanna be a real corner,’” Heacock said.