Watch: Rocco Becht Surprises Offensive Line with Christmas Gifts
Rocco Becht was one of the biggest surprises in the Big 12 conference this season, earning the 2023 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year after completing 63.5% of his passes for 2,674 yards and 20 touchdowns with just eight interceptions.
His success is no doubt a reflection of the immense amount of talent that the redshirt freshman out of Wesley Chapel, Florida has exhibited throughout the year, but it’s also a good indicator of how well his offensive line played this season.
Iowa State ranks second in the Big 12 this year with just 12 sacks allowed all year, with West Virginia being the only team that gave up fewer (9). When given time, Becht was efficient and accurate, and that was a major reason for a surprising run through the Big 12, finishing 6-3 in conference play.
In the spirit of Christmas, Becht decided that his offensive line deserved some recognition for keeping his uniform clean all season.
The quarterback decided to surprise the big fellas with some gifts, including a box full of Carhartt gear.
The offensive linemen were a major part of Iowa State winning five of their last seven games after starting the year off 2-3.
On Tuesday, Becht explained why he did it, and that he just wanted to make sure that credit was being given where it was due.
“That was just my decision,” Becht told the Des Moines Register on Tuesday. “I was able to hook up with Carhartt and get them a bunch of stuff for Christmas. I wanted to surprise them. I felt like they really needed that. I felt like I needed to get them that, because of what they were able to do this season.”
“The beginning of the season − I’m pretty sure they would all say that’s not how they wanted it to start. That last half of the season was huge for those guys. They deserved a lot of credit for the wins and the yards that we were able to tally up.”
Becht and the Cyclones will take on Memphis in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Friday, December 29, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and ESPN+.
