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WEBVTT For nearly 14 years, our Eric Hanson's been telling the stories of central Iowa's characters. But we thought those people deserve an even brighter spotlight. So tonight, we're kicking off an ongoing series-- called Eric Hanson's This is Iowa ... in a town where small-town pride applies to EVERYONE. Alright. You guys ready? Yeah. ASK ANY MOM WHO'S JUST FOUND OUT THEIR NEWBORN HAS DOWN SYNDROME-- C-O-O-K. AND THEY'LL ADMIT TO MORE WORRIES THAN YOU CAN FIT ON ANY GROCERY LIST. Definitely. You always have fears. You hope that they're accepted. You hope that everybody's good to them. EVERYONE KNEW WHAT WAS COMING FROM NUMBER 31, WHO COULDN'T - STOP - STRETCHING. Let's go, Jake! You got this, buddy! Look at him. He's so cute! Are we ready? Born ready, weren't you? THE SIDELINE HUGS HAD ALREADY STARTED. BEFORE THE TIME OUT- Jake, Jake. right here. Jake! AND THE PLAY THEY'D BEEN PRACTICING FOR WEEKS. double tight left, Jake Power to the left, alright? Go Jake Go! Screaming starts. Come on, Jake! Let's go, Jake! Yeah! JAKE'S TEAMMATES'LL TELL YOU 52 YARDS- Whistle. NEVER FELT SO GOOD. Yeah, it was awesome to get to run next to him down the field. BUT MOM? I've gotta give the boys. They've got pretty big smiles on their faces too. SHE'LL ARGUE THE HIGHLIGHT WASN'T EVEN GETTING CARRIED OFF BY THE SENIOR CAPTAINS. YEAH! IT WAS JAKE'S CLASSMATES WHO'VE ALWAYS JUST CONSIDERED HIM, JAKE. Cheering for Ray Lewis Dance. We're both kind of like in tears because it's so awesome. The last part was just the cherry on top. IT'S NATURAL TO WORRY - WILL THOSE YOU LOVE BE ACCEPTED? Like, I was worried about that too but his friend group and just the community. They're so supportive. TAKE IT FROM THE STAR WHO COULD BARELY SEE OUT OF HIS HELMET-- My friends are proud of me. HIS FRIENDS TRULY ARE PROUD OF HIM. Loud crowd. Jake posed for pictures, even pulling out the Heisman for a half hour after the run. And you could tell watching, his friends weren't just there for the spectacle. They truly were cheering him on, like they have been for years. So your 'This is Iowa' stories are going to continue every Monday night? Yeah, we're going to try to define what makes Iowa such a great place to live. We want to thank Abbi Erickson for sending in tonight's idea. If you know of someone or something remarkable where you live, let me know at kcci.com. I'd love to share the story. So what's next week? A street in Urbandale where commitment takes on a whole new meaning. 5 couples who've turned the street golden, next Monday at ten.