Koeppel on his newfound media fame: ‘It’s a little different’
Koeppel's friends told him he's lucky to still be alive after his moped collided with a moving truck.
Iowa City Ia. — He didn’t look like he’d been hit by a truck. But Josh Koeppel did admit to being a bit dazed and confused by the furor that the video of his accident has stirred up in the media.
“It’s a little different,” said the senior center from the Iowa Hawkeyes, who was struck by a truck while riding on his a moped last Monday morning in Iowa City. “I had no idea it would get this big.”
Koeppel’s accident was big news for Iowa fans, as he was battling for a starting job in the middle of a revamped offensive line. But when police video of the accident was leaked and hit the internet, the 6-foot-2, 273-pound Koeppel became a national sensation. The Iowa City native, who missed Iowa’s 37-7 season-opening win over Eastern Illinois last Saturday, was even interviewed this morning on NBC’s “The Today Show.”
Koeppel, thankfully, is not only fine — he’s expected to see playing time this weekend against Iowa State. The upperclassman met Iowa reporters en masse this afternoon for the first time since his wreck.
“My first thought, and I don’t know why, was, ‘Just get off the street,’” he said of the accident, which he endured relatively unscathed despite the fact that he wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time.
When asked if being in good shape helped him to whether the collision, Koeppel replied, “My parents thank (Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris) Doyle — ‘Body by Doyle.’”
By the way, he says he plans on getting rid of his moped. And I can’t exactly say that I blame him.
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football
