The Iowa defense has always been a staple of the program, especially under defensive coordinator Phil Parker.
Parker is the longest tenured coordinator in the nation and has been with the Hawkeyes since Head Coach Kirk Ferentz took over the program in 1999. He has been the defensive coordinator since 2012.
A staple of the Iowa defensive scheme is taking a group of players and getting them to buy into the Iowa culture where no one player is above the rest.
The idea of the sum being greater than the parts was highlighted by the Big Ten Network when they previewed the Iowa program during their training camp tour.