This Week’s Iowa Hawkeye Kid Captain Was Born in Minnesota

Now this is a gesture of straight-up class coming from the University of Iowa and the Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. This Saturday (October 21) the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Big 10 matchup and the winner will leave Kinnick Stadium with Floyd of Rosedale trophy. The bronze pig has spent a lot of time at the University of Iowa over the years and it's always an exciting week for fans/students at both universities.

This week's kid captain just happens to be a 12-year-old boy from Minnesota and something tells me he'll be wearing a Hawkeye jersey this Saturday.

Bentley Erickson

This is Bentley Erickson and he is a 12-year-old boy from Brainerd, Minnesota. If you're unfamiliar with Brainerd, it's pretty close to being in the very middle of the state. Bently was born at 31 weeks and was quickly transferred to the UI Stead Family Children's Hospital, according to UIHC.

Bentley was born with a missing left ear and he was diagnosed with several disorders, one of them being esophageal atresia. This disorder is when the upper and lower esophagus do not connect. This ends up preventing food from getting to the stomach. Bentley also suffers from Goldenhar syndrome. This is a rare disorder that can affect facial and skull development. You can read more about the other challenges Bentley faces at UIHC.

Even though Bentley was born in Minnesota, he's found a love for Iowa Hawkeye football! According to KCRG, Bentley has been through 10 surgeries at the UI Stead Family Children's Hospital in his first four years. With the amount of time he's spent at the hospital, it's no wonder he's found a love for the Hawkeyes. Not only that, every time the Minnesota Gophers show up at Kinnick Stadium...they lose.

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I was born in Minnesota and moved here about one and a half years ago, I just think this is such an awesome and classy move. Bentley not only gets to be the kid's captain for a fantastic rivalry game, but he also gets to watch his favorite team play against the team from his home state.

I hope you have a fantastic day Bentley and I hope you and your family enjoy every second of your big day!