Iowa's Fry Feared Assassin in 1982

Former Iowa coach Hayden Fry revealed that he was the target of a death threat in 1982 and wore a bulletproof vest on the sideline, the Des Moines Register reported. Assistants first noticed a change in Fry when he walked out on the field for a game at Nebraska wearing black pants. Fry always wore white pants. "I asked him what the deal was, and Hayden said that he was wearing black pants so he could blend in on the sidelines because someone was trying to kill him," said Iowa State coach Dan McCarney, a former assistant under Fry. The man who made the threat was later institutionalized and has since died. Only a handful of people knew of the threat. "We tried to keep it a secret because we thought publicity might set the guy off," Fry said. "The authorities were searching for him." ... It's a big week in the state of Iowa, as Iowa State travels to Iowa City to play the Hawkeyes, and Ron Maly is keeping tabs of the developments.