Mike Klinkenborg, born January 19, 1985, is a starting middle linebacker

Linebacker

A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...

 for the University of Iowa

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

 Hawkeyes football

Iowa Hawkeyes football

The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...

 team. Born and raised in a farm near Rock Rapids

Rock Rapids, Iowa

Rock Rapids is a city in Lyon County in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa, an area known for its strong Dutch heritage and conservative politics. It is the county seat of Lyon County and home to Central Lyon Schools. The population was 2,549 in the 2010 census, a decline from 2,573...

, Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, Klinkenborg is an elementary education major at Iowa and has 145 career tackles. His 129 tackles in 2006 were second-best in the Big Ten

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

.

Klinkenborg is widely-known for his performance in Iowa's 2006 game against Iowa State

Iowa State University

Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...

. Just six days before the annual rivalry game, Klinkenborg's father Myron died of a heart attack. Instead of sitting out the game, Klinkenborg played and recorded eight tackles. A day later, he was named Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week.

Klinkenborg will be married to his high school sweetheart Whitney Bruns on June 6, 2008.

Collegiate career

After redshirting

Redshirt (college sports)

Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...

 in 2003, Klinkenborg played in six games in 2004. He recorded 4 solo tackles and one assisted tackle in games against Iowa State and Michigan State

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

. The next year, Klinkenborg remained behind linebackers Chad Greenway

Chad Greenway

Chad Greenway is an American football player who plays linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2002 to 2005....

 and Abdul Hodge

Abdul Hodge

Abdul Raheeda Hodge is an American football linebacker and a member of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...

 on the depth chart. Playing in limited time once again, Klinkenborg recorded 7 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles in the season.

2006

In 2006, Klinkenborg established his starting spot early, as he was listed as the starting middle linebacker following spring practice. Playing in every regular season game, he recorded 129 tackles, which was the 17th-best single season total in Iowa history. In Iowa's loss to Northwestern

Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....

, Klinkenborg recorded 16 tackles and recorded the only sack in his career to date. However, he did not play in Iowa's bowl game against Texas

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

 due to injury.

2007

Before the season, Klinkenborg was named to the pre-season Lott Trophy

Lott Trophy

The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...

 watch list and the Bednarik Award watch list.

Statistics

Iowa			Defense
Season	Games		Tackles	T/Loss	Sacks	Fumble Recoveries	Pass Breakups
2004	6		5	0	0	0	0
2005	11		11	0	0	0	0
2006	12		129	6	1	2	2
Total	29		145	6	1	2	2