Decorah area fans have another college football player to root for

Joel Lanning (#7) and his teammates celebrate after a good play (Photo courtesy of Iowa State Athletics)

Decorah area fans know all about Josey Jewell--the Decorah native who has gone to the University of Iowa to play football and has won a number of honors, including being  named preseason first team All-American by the Associated Press and by Sports Illustrated and being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and the national Defensive Player of the Week.

Now there's another college football player with ties to Decorah receiving national attention.  Joel Lanning played a key role in Iowa State's upset victory over Oklahoma last Saturday, playing on both sides of the ball, taking several snaps as quarterback, recovering a fumble and making a sack as linebacker, playing a total of 78 snaps.  After the game, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said, "I don't know if there's any better story in college football...what he's doing is unheard of."

So what's Joel Lanning's connection to Decorah?  His uncle is also someone who's had success on the football field--Decorah Viking Head Football Coach Bill Post.

Bill Post's sister is Lisa Post Lanning of Ankeny--Joel Lanning's mother.  Bill Post says watching his nephew play football has been "very cool."  "He's having fun--I'm so happy for him," Post told KDEC's Darin Svenson.

Bill Post admits he got a little choked up watching Joel Lanning have so much success last Saturday.  He thinks success won't go to the head of his nephew, since Joel is "the epitome of 'team first' and plays the game of football the way it should be played."

Bill and his wife Barb plan to watch Joel play this Saturday against Kansas, attending the game with the Lannings.  Says Post, "I'm very proud of our family."