A former area football standout will take the field with the Iowa Hawkeyes on New Year’s Eve. Winfield-Mt. Union alumnus linebacker and running back Cam Buffington will represent the KCII listening area as the Hawkeyes face Vanderbilt in the Reliaquest Bowl in Tampa Bay, Florida. 

The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite playing in the Big 10 Conference, the home of several of the largest stadiums that college football has to offer, this will be Buffington’s first career game inside the stadium of an NFL team. He says the size of these kinds of stadiums doesn’t quite feel real until the team takes the field, “I mean, it’s pretty cool. It doesn’t really like, set in until you’re there, really. And you see the stadium, and see how big it is. And all the different things.”

As a redshirt freshman, Buffington has recorded seven total tackles and an interception so far this season. Buffington was a four-year first-team all-district selection for WMU, and was a first-team all-state selection during his senior season in the fall of 2023. During his time with the Wolves, Buffington set team single-season records for rushing yards, carries, rushing touchdowns, receiving yards and touchdowns, total tackles and solo tackles. He also set career records for points scored, rushing attempts, rushing yards and touchdowns, and both total and solo tackles. In his four years at WMU, Buffington tallied 4830 rushing yards, 85 rushing touchdowns, and 307.5 total tackles. Buffington played multiple sports while at WMU, also competing in basketball and track and field.

Iowa and Vanderbilt will kick off at 11 a.m. Wednesday.