Chris Street: A Hawkeye Through And Through

It seems like a recent memory, but it's been 17 years since the worst night in the history of Iowa Hawkeye basketball.

Jan. 19, 1993 started off like a normal winter day in the state of Iowa.  The temperatures were cold, and the snow was unavoidable.

The day would end on a far different note than anyone could have possibly imagined.

Chris Street, a 6'8" junior from Indianola, Iowa, one of the most popular Hawkeyes ever to step foot in Carver Hawkeye Arena, was struck and killed by a Johnson County snowplow as he left a team dinner.

His sudden and tragic death left the entire state of Iowa in mourning.  Three million Iowans lost a brother that day. 

The Iowa House of Representatives observed his death and honored him with a moment of silence.

Street wasn't just another basketball player; he embodied everything it meant to be a Hawkeye.  In victory or defeat, he made every Iowan proud.  To say he is one of the greatest Hawkeyes of all time is an extreme understatement.

"To me, I think Chris represented the intensity of life, the openness of the Midwest," remembered Coach Tom Davis.

The University of Iowa meant the world to Street, and everyone knew it.  He made an unwritten commitment to the university as a high school sophomore, a full 15 months before the earliest signing deadline. 

His family made sure that Street was buried in his gold Iowa uniform, warm-up jacket and all.  

He left a lasting impact on the program, and even set a record for most consecutive free throws in his last game as an Iowa Hawkeye.  His 34 consecutive free throws are a school record that still stands to this day.

Street's No. 40 was forever retired by the school.  No other number has been retired since.

Seventeen years later, I still get a little choked up thinking about it.

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