Dream of being a Cyclone comes true for kicker Netten

By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com PublisherFollow Chris on Twitter @ChrisMWilliams

It was the easiest decision of Cole Netten’s life.

When Paul Rhoads calls and asks if you want to be a Cyclone, you say yes. Period.

"I committed right away," said Iowa State’s latest football commitment for the class of 2012. "I think that he was as excited as I was."

Netten, a kicker out of Ankeny, became a member of the Cyclone football family on Sunday.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I have been an Iowa State fan,” Nettens said. “I grew up in Ames and I have a passion for Iowa State.”

As a junior, Netten went 8-for-13 on field goal attempts for the Ankeny Hawks, with a season long kick of 40 yards. He was 40-for-42 on PAT’s and recorded 36 touchbacks on the season.

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Through the first two games of 2011, Netten is 2-for-3 on field goals, with a season long of 39-yards. Iowa State is his only scholarship offer at this point in time, although schools like Iowa and Purdue have shown interest as well.

"Coach wanted me because I know the weather here in Iowa," Netten said. "Iowa State’s stadium is tough. It’s a wind-tunnel."

Any former Cyclone player, coach or fan can attest to that.

"The cold weather is the worst part," said Netten. "Your legs get stiff and you don’t get a big pop on the ball. The air is a lot thicker so it doesn’t go as far as it does in the warm weather. You can slide too. The winter is the season that it is tough to kick in. I enjoy it."

Netten prides himself as more of an accuracy kicker over power, but said that he worked a lot on leg strength over the summer.

He’ll be the odds on favorite to be Iowa State’s starting kicker in 2012, as seniors Grant Mahoney and Zach Guyer will no longer be in the mix.

Ankeny will travel to Des Moines North this Friday. The Hawks are currently 2-0 and ranked fifth in the state.