Former Mustang Brandon Myers joins ANF Wall of Honor at Kinnick Stadium

Brandon Myers wasn’t required to have a farming background to be eligible for the America Needs Farmers Wall of Honor. But the former PCM standout spend a lot of time on farms growing up in Prairie City.

“Being a farmer was not required, but having the characteristics of a farmer is,” Myers said about being the latest member of the ANF Wall of Honor. “I was pretty shocked when I got the call. I’m now with a group of guys who are the pillars when you think of Iowa football.”

Myers was an all-conference tight end for the Iowa Hawkeyes before playing nearly a decade in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The ANF Wall of Honor salutes past University of Iowa football players who exemplify the tenacity, work ethic and character of the Iowa farmer, and Myers becomes the 12th member of the prestigious group.

A four-year letter winner with the Hawkeyes, Myers credits his success to a solid work ethic and lessons learned growing up on his grandparents’ farm in Central Iowa.

“It was about 10 miles west of Prairie City,” Myers said. “They had corn, soybeans and pigs. I grew up there. I drove the grain cart. We lived on a farm, too, but had only pigs and sheep.”

Myers utilized his farm strong work ethic to capture three bowl game victories with the Hawkeyes.

Previous ANF Wall of Honor recipients include Casey Wiegmann (2012), Jared DeVries (2013), Bruce Nelson (2014), Robert Gallery (2015), Dallas Clark (2016), Chad Greenway (2017), Aaron Kampman (2018), Matt Kroul (2019), Marshal Yanda (2021), Tony Moeaki (2022) and Bryan Bulaga (2023).

Myers said he played on teams with Kroul, Yanda, Bulaga and Moeaki. He continues to have relationships with those guys today.

“To be up there with them is a pretty big deal,” said Myers, who helped PCM win a state basketball championship during his prep career. “It means a lot and is humbling. I don’t get excited about a lot of things anymore, but I was pretty pumped about this.”

His NFL career led him to his wife Ashlee. They’ve been married for 10 years and have two children — 7-year-old Carson and 1-year-old Dawson.

They live in Peoria, Arizona, and Myers currently owns and operates a residential and commercial window cleaning company. He also spent time as a volunteer football coach at an area high school in Arizona during his early years as a retired football player.

Myers and his family spent last week in Prairie City and they attended the Iowa/Washington Big Ten Conference football game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday.

That’s where he was recognized on the field as the latest ANF Wall of Honor recipient.

“Most kids in Iowa grow up wanting to play for the Hawkeyes or Cyclones,” Myers said. “To be able to go there and develop, they made my dreams a reality and they opened up a lot of doors for me. I’m so thankful for it.”

America Needs Farmers was launched by former Hawkeye head coach Hayden Fry to show support for farmers during the 1980s Farm Crisis by placing a gold ANF decal on players’ helmets.

This year marks the 39th anniversary of ANF and its longstanding tribute to America’s farmers.

In this same spirit, the ANF game recognizes the hardworking men and women in agriculture whose work creates a positive impact in Iowa and across the globe.

“Farming and football have each evolved since the inception of ANF during the 1980s, but the values and qualities that define ANF are just as important and remain true today — commitment, integrity and the drive to continuously improve upon their craft,” Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson said.