The Indiana Hoosiers might not be known as a college football powerhouse, but the program does have some solid history behind it. Terry Hoeppner, who previously coached at the school, is certainly part of that history.
His story goes beyond football. The university plans to honor that story this weekend.
In what will seem subtle to the outside observer, Indiana plans on wearing uniforms with a slight modification this weekend to honor the coach. The timing might seem random, but it is coming on the 10-year anniversary of the coach's passing.
Here are the uniforms mentioned:
This Saturday ➡️ The "Hep's Rock" uniforms come out and we welcome back the 2007 Insight Bowl Team. pic.twitter.com/s9LtgrfVyJ
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) September 18, 2017
The change here isn't obvious to those who are unfamiliar with the IU football program. Instead of traditional white block numbering on the front and back, the uniform numbers will feature a pattern mimicking Hep’s Rock, which was introduced to the program by Terry Hoeppner and remains a fixture within it.
Some might find in strange that the coach is being posthumously honored, especially since he only coached to seasons for the Hooisers, but this is where success on the field gets trumped by impact.
The Hoosiers won four and five games in the two seasons coached by Hoeppner, but the 2007 team carried on his mission to “Play 13” by advancing to the Insight Bowl (now known as the Cactus Bowl).
Members of the 2007 bowl team (Indiana lost to Oklahoma State in that bowl game) will be in Bloomington to celebrate the life of Hoeppner.
Hoeppner had planned to step away from coaching to focus on a battle with brain cancer the summer he passed, but he fell victim to the disease on June 19, 2007.
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