By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette
Professional athletes from Guthrie County
Who are the greatest athletes from Guthrie County to make it to the professional level of their respective sports? I found three in my quick research. Here are the names and what they were able to accomplish:
Elvin Hutchinson. Hutchinson was born in Guthrie Center in 1912. He attended school in Red Oak and played football at Whittier College in California. He was the quarterback there and was nicknamed the “Red Oak Express.” I love a good nickname. Hutchinson went on to play in the NFL for the Detroit Lions as a halfback in 1939. He also spent a few years playing in the Coast Professional Football League. After his time as a professional athlete, Hutchinson joined the United States Navy in 1942.
Merv Krakau. Krakau was born in Jefferson but attended Guthrie Center High School where he excelled in football. He played at Iowa State University as a defensive end and racked up many awards in the process. He was named third-team All-American, first-team All-Big Eight, and was inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. Krakau played six seasons in the NFL from 1973 to 1978 for the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots and in the USFL for the Tampa Bay Bandits.
Kip Janvrin. As a newcomer to the area, I first heard Janvrin’s name while covering Panorama track and field, as one of the meets is named after him. I now see why. Janvrin was born in Guthrie Center and is a native of Panora. He graduated from Simpson College in 1988 after winning three NCAA Division III titles in the decathlon and won individual titles in the pole vault and 400-meter hurdles. His success at the international level is extensive. Janvrin won the decathlon at the 1989 Olympic Festival, placed fourth at 1998 and 1999 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and won the championship in 2001. Locally, Janvrin won the decathlon a record 15 times at the Drake Relays and has been inducted into the Drake Relays Hall of Fame. And this is just a short list of Janvrin’s accomplishments.
Of course, most of you know these names and their many accomplishments, but what folks did I miss? Let me know of other prominent athletes from Guthrie County, and I will profile them here as well. They do not have to be professional athletes. Former program standouts are welcome, too. Just shoot me a message at cyote@dmcityview.com.
Iowa native Kadyn Proctor rated best offensive lineman
Player overall ratings have begun to trickle out with the anticipated release of EA Sports NCAA College Football 26 coming soon. Iowa native Kadyn Proctor’s overall rating was revealed as a 94, the highest of any offensive lineman. The former five-star recruit out of Southeast Polk High School has caused headaches for Hawkeye fans over the years. Proctor originally committed to play at Iowa but then flipped to Alabama. Then, in January of 2024, he transferred back to Iowa. But then, Proctor again flipped and transferred back to Alabama before ever hitting the field at Kinnick Stadium. It is a whirlwind story for one of the country’s top linemen and certainly a future NFL player.