Iowa Freshman Iose Epenesa Continues Family's Football Dynasty

PHOTO: HAWKEYESPORTS.COM A.J., Eppy, Iose, Stephanie, and Eric have made the Epenesa name a fixture at Kinnick Stadium.

What’s it like for a high school student from Polynesia to move to Iowa sight unseen?

“I had never felt that kind of weather before; it was hot, then it was super cold,” says Eppy Epenesa (98BA). “It was a super weather shock for me, especially for playing football, and I had no idea what I was in for.”

Growing up nearly 7,000 miles away from Iowa in the American Samoa, Epenesa was lightly recruited in football. After playing two years at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Epenesa walked on at Iowa as a defensive lineman under legendary coach Hayden Fry in the 1990s.

His three sons—A.J., Eric (24BSE), and now Iose—have all followed in their father’s footsteps as Hawkeyes.

When Epenesa’s oldest child, daughter Sam, became interested in junior high sports, Eppy began holding workouts and training runs around the family home in the St. Louis suburb of Edwardsville, Illinois. As A.J. and Eric grew old enough to join in, Eppy opened the workouts to their friends and teammates. Boys and girls from basketball, track, wrestling, volleyball, and other sports participated. Epenesa based the workouts on Hawkeye practices that included long-distance runs, hill repeats, and field sprints.

“I always tell the kids there is no easy recipe for success,” he says. “You just need to be willing to put in the work.”

Eventually, Iose—the youngest of Eppy’s four kids—joined his dad and older siblings in the workouts.

“I was maybe 8 or 9 trying to keep up with these kids who were 16, 17, 18—just doing my best,” says Iose. “For my dad to be able to do that for the athletes and the town was just awesome.”

PHOTO: HAWKEYESPORTS.COM Thirty years after Eppy Epenesa joined the Iowa football team, his youngest son, Iose, continues the family's Hawkeye legacy.

Word of the workouts grew so much that the Big Ten Network aired a segment about it while A.J. was a Hawkeye football player.

Eppy’s oldest son, A.J., was an All-American Hawkeye defensive end from 2017-19 and now plays for the Buffalo Bills. Middle son Eric just finished his time as a Hawkeye linebacker. Now, youngest son Iose is beginning his Iowa football career as a defensive end.

At first, Iose didn’t feel destined to be a Hawkeye.

“In high school, I wanted to be different and maybe play somewhere else,” he says. “But it just became apparent that Iowa was the place for me, because it felt like home, everything fell into place, and it was the perfect fit for me.”

As Iose begins his Hawkeye career, his expectations are humble.

“I hope to maybe get some time on the field and get in on a couple of plays,” he says. “I also want to work on getting stronger in the weight room.”

With Iose now joining the Hawkeyes, father and son reflect on the significance of their Iowa family legacy.

“It means the world to me that my boys have gone to Iowa,” says Eppy, “because it’s the place where I really started, the place where I learned about life, and the place that gave me the opportunity to succeed.”

Iose says, “It’s a great honor, especially since I’ve grown up surrounded by Iowa Hawkeye culture and my dad and brothers playing football here. Now that I am the guy in those shoes, it’s just so surreal to me.”

And what will become of the legendary Epenesa backyard workouts now that Eppy and his wife, Stephanie, are empty nesters?

“I’ve been asked by local high school athletes to keep the workouts going,” says Eppy. “I will, because I love helping these kids have the opportunity to play at the next level.”