Iowa State transfer Rocco Becht paid it forward before leaving town for Penn State.
Retired Des Moines Register sportswriter Randy Peterson shared an interesting piece of Becht’s exit from Ames on Thursday. Becht apparently donated $10,000 to an Iowa Youth Football Program in Perry, Iowa.
It’s not Becht’s first time putting his NIL funds to good use, either. The former Cyclones star previously donated $7,500 to the same program, according to the Perry Youth Football Program’s official Facebook page. Becht entered the portal in December of last year shortly after Matt Campbell accepted the opening at Penn State.
Look, I know a lot of players, college and pro, often take part in charities or benefit local programs with their earnings but for Becht to make this investment while heading out the door speaks volumes to his time in Ames and what Iowa as a whole means to him.
Hardly anyone was shocked when Becht decided to follow Campbell to Penn State. It’s a wonderful opportunity with one year remaining, and it’s likely as close as he’ll get to the College Football Playoff before evaluating his professional chances.
But youth football, especially across the Midwest, needs support through youth programs like those found in the Des Moines surrounds. It’s a quality act for Becht to leave some change behind for the state’s youth and serves a nod to his impact on football in Iowa.
