Now an Iowa State senior, the wide receiver has played for three head coaches, learned just as many offensive schemes and endured much losing with the Cyclones.
And yet, there’s a sincere satisfaction for Hamilton in what this final season in Ames is delivering. The Cyclones ended an 11-game conference losing streak against Baylor, won at Nebraska for the first time since the ’70s and now stand just one win shy of becoming bowl eligible with Oklahoma State headed their way on Saturday.
"We’re at five wins,” Hamilton said. "We need six to be bowl eligible. We’ve got three games to do that.
"And this is the one we’re focusing on right now.”
The Cyclones drew the focus of the nation when they stunned Nebraska, 9-7, two weekends ago for ISU’s first win in Lincoln since 1977. Yes, the Huskers coughed up eight turnovers, but ISU overcame its own adversity, playing without its starting quarterback and tailback and dealing with widespread illness.
"It was a tremendous accomplishment,” Hamilton said. "To go into Lincoln, that’s not an easy place to play, and pull the upset and make history, it was great for this program and this team.
"It was very thrilling for us. But we kind of want to move past that and continue our season.”
An All-State pick at Edmond North, Hamilton couldn’t help but grow up following Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
"I did, because it was obviously all that I heard about growing up in Oklahoma,” he said. "I knew all along that I wanted to play in the Big 12 Conference.
"Iowa State was my only Big 12 offer.”
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