Reimers Excited About Hall of Fame Induction

AMES, Iowa-All Bruce Reimers ever wanted was just one year. One season to lineup against the best football players in the world in the National Football League was the dream of the hard-working small-town Iowa kid from Humboldt.

Displaying a tireless work ethic and perseverance, Reimers got more than he asked for. The former Iowa State All-Big Eight lineman spent a whopping 10 years in the NFL, many as a starter for the Cincinnati Bengals. Reimers' accomplishments on the gridiron have not gone unnoticed. He was awarded the highest compliment by his alma mater last week when it was announced he made the seven-member 2009 Iowa State Letterwinners Club Hall of Fame class.

“I always had a dream of playing one year of professional football and I did it,” Reimers said. “The Good Lord blessed me enough to give me the opportunity to play five years at Iowa State and to play 10 years in the NFL. I got the chance to do things and see things that every little kid wants to do as a professional athlete.”

Reimers' career at ISU (1979-83) involved three head coaches and countless hours in the ISU training room. He was recruited by former head coach Earle Bruce as a defensive lineman in 1979. After Bruce left for Ohio State, Donnie Duncan took over coaching duties and began to see promise in Reimers' mammoth 6-7, 275-pound frame. Duncan swiftly switched Reimers to the offensive line for his sophomore season.

It was then where Reimers developed a strong bond with former ISU offensive line coach Jim Williams. Williams was on Bruce's staff, but was retained by Duncan, and continued to coach the men in the trenches. The stable presence of Williams was an integral part of Reimers' development.

“Probably the biggest reason I chose Iowa State over Iowa was just the fact that the coaches that had started to recruit me were still there,” says Reimers. “Jim Williams ended up being my offensive line coach after I was switched, because I was initially recruited as a defensive player. As a freshman, I ended up having surgery and was told I should maybe consider a different position. So I was switched to the offensive line. Coach Williams recruited me and I was very comfortable with him.”

“To this day, I still believe a team has to have stability,” Reimers added. “They need that coach who makes sure your ready for the long haul and helps you see what is going to happen in the future. Coach Williams did that for me and was a very big part of where I ended up.”

ISU boasted some outstanding teams while Reimers was anchoring the line. In his sophomore campaign (1981), Reimers started all 11 games at left guard, as the Cyclones peaked at No. 11 in the Associated Press polls. He helped pave the way for All-American running back Dwayne Crutchfield, who ran for 1,189 yards and 17 touchdowns.

He later protected All-Big Eight signal-caller David Archer, who also enjoyed a solid NFL career of his own.

Growing up in Iowa, the Cyclone-Hawkeye rivalry was important to Reimers. In his five seasons with the Cyclones, Reimers went 3-2 against their instate rival. He started in the 1981 and 1982 ISU-Iowa clashes, which resulted in a pair of Cyclone wins.

“Those two wins over Iowa were huge for us,” Reimers said. “Iowa was really starting to turn it around, but I think it really showed the difference between the Big Eight versus the Big 10. Iowa would win a lot in the Big 10, but we played teams like Nebraska and Oklahoma. Nebraska had guys like Turner Gill, Mike Rozier and Dean Steinkuhler. That was scary. We were right on the edge of doing a lot of great things.”

Reimers suited up for his third ISU head coach, Jim Criner, in his final season in 1983. After enduring three knee surgeries and numerous other injuries, Cyclones fans still had not witnessed a fully healthy Reimers on the line.

Reimers had an outstanding senior season and Criner had a lot to do with it. The new football coach made a subtle change in the ISU practice plan which paid dividends to Reimers' damaged knees.

“I blame part of my knee injuries on practicing everyday on that artificial turf,” Reimers recalled. “Growing up in Iowa, we practiced on grass everyday. When I got to Iowa State we couldn't find a piece of grass that we'd use for practice, even in spring ball. My senior year, Coach Criner started using the intramural fields on the east side of the stadium for practice. It was a fun year and I started to notice my knees felt much better.”

By season's end, Reimers was playing his best football. He missed the first four games of the season, but bounced back to kickstart the high-octane ISU offense in the last seven games of the year. In his absence, ISU averaged 276.1 yards of offense, but improved to 379.3 yards per game with Reimers in the lineup. He joined Nebraska All-American Steinkuhler as a First-Team All-Big Eight guard.

Reimers was invited to play in the 1983 Senior Bowl and was given the Arthur Floyd Scott Award as the team's best offensive lineman after graduation. Despite the many injuries he suffered, Reimers still held onto his dream of playing in the NFL. The Bengals were impressed with his stellar senior season and drafted him in the eighth round in 1984.

Reimers fought the odds and made the Cincinnati roster, playing in 15 games as a rookie. Two years year later he received some starts, and by 1988, he was starting on the line for one of the best teams in the AFC.

Starting alongside NFL Hall of Fame lineman Anthony Munoz and playing with superstars Boomer Esiason and Ickey Woods, Reimers and the 1988 Bengals made it all the way to the Super Bowl. The Bengals eventually lost to the San Francisco 49ers (20-16) in one of the greatest Super Bowl finishes, as Hall of Famer Joe Montana orchestrated one of the most memorable final-minute drives in the history of the Big Game. The chance to start in a Super Bowl is a memory Reimers will never forget.

“I'm still mad that Joe Montana has my ring,” Reimers chuckled. “We played well enough to win and had an unbelievable year. It was one of those years as an athlete, from when we started training camp, everything felt right. Everyone was healthy, no one was injured. Key players, everybody was primed. It just all started working out. We had a couple close games, but we found a way to win. To have the chance to start with Anthony Munoz, who I consider one of the greatest offensive lineman of all-time, is an unbelievable honor. I was in awe that this guy from Humboldt, Iowa was getting the opportunity to play with Munoz.”

Reimers played a couple more seasons with Cincinnati before being traded to Tampa Bay in 1992, where he started all 16 games. In 1993, Minnesota Viking defensive tackle John Randle hit Reimers while his legs were tangled in a pile. He tore most of his ligaments in his right ankle and was placed on injured reserve. While making his recovery, Reimers was advised to give his battered body a rest. He decided to call it quits after starting 90 games in 10 seasons in the NFL.

“If my body had allowed it, I would have kept playing, but I had to retire,” says Reimers. “After all these injuries, someday those things are going to catch up with you. I was kind of down in the dumps about retiring until one day I was talking with my brother and I told him all I wanted was to do was to play one year and I ended up playing 10 years. And he was like, ?Yeah! You got 10. Don't be mad about that!' Playing in front of 80,000 people and being able to play a game for as long as I played it, it was huge. I loved the game.”

Talking with Reimers now, you would never know he was an accomplished professional athlete. The humble and unassuming Reimers moved back to Humboldt to farm after his successful NFL career ended. He now operates his own trucking business, distributing corn to ethanol plants in central Iowa. In the fall, you will find Reimers volunteering his time as an assistant coach for the Humboldt High School football team, providing inspiration and advice to a future generation of Iowa kids attempting to achieve their dreams.

“I got into farming when I got done and built a hog confinement,” Reimers said. “I did that for four or five years and I thought that there has to be something else out there. I now work around the Humboldt area hauling corn to elevators for farmers. That's something where I can set my own hours. I still help coach at Humboldt where I can coach my kids, nieces and nephews. I'm watching them and supporting them. I'm just proud to be apart of this community.”

Reimers will be in attendance on Sept 25-26 when he is inducted into the ISU Letterwinners Club Hall of Fame. It will be a special moment for Reimers and his family.

“When (ISU Athletics Director) Jamie Pollard called me, words couldn't express the honor,” Reimers said. “I want to say it doesn't belong to me. I played with a lot of great guys that didn't reach the level that I had the opportunity to attain. For my teammates, it is as much their honor as it is mine. I guess I am a very humble person. I thank all the people that are a big part of my life. I had two great parents and grew up with six brothers and sisters. For me, it always goes back to all the people that I was blessed to be around.”

Iowa State University Athletics

Reimers Excited About Hall of Fame Induction

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