Heath Methlie may be an Iowa State cheerleader, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know what to do when a football comes in his direction.

The former Southeast Polk High School defensive back made a scene-stealing grab of an out-of-bounds pass during Saturday's game between Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa. His leaping snag caught the attention of national sports media and earned a spot among 247Sports' top 10 plays from the first week of the college football season.

"It's kind of funny, and it's really cool," he said of his sudden burst of fame.

Methlie's catch came with about 2:30 left in the third quarter, with Iowa State up 10-3 on Northern Iowa.

UNI quarterback Will McElvain threw the ball out of bounds, and when Methlie saw it coming his way, he did what he'd done many times in high school: Went up for the interception.

"I saw it fly out of his hand, and I thought, 'Yeah, I'm going to catch this for sure,'" said Methlie, a senior studying marketing. "Everybody else ducked, and I just took a few steps up and snagged it."

The catch sent the nearby section of the stands into cheers. One of Methlie's friends picked him up and carried him toward the end zone. He said he could hear the referees having fun with the moment, as well.

But he didn't think everyone had seen the play. That is, until he switched sides of the stadium at the quarter and started getting congratulations from the people on the other side.

The television crew also captured the grab. Broadcasters Chris Vosters and Ben Leber, who called the game on FS1, applauded the catch.

"Yeah! Yes! Celebrate!" Leber shouted, chuckling. "I love it."

"He's got a pair of hands on him," Vosters added.

Methlie said the moment sent his phone "buzzing like crazy." The clip was shared on Twitter by Sports Illustrated with the caption "Cheerleader has HANDS." Bleacher Report tweeted the same clip, saying "Hands team. He was ready."

On Sunday, 247Sports listed the grab as No. 10 in its top 10 plays. "Sign him up!" its heading read.

"Maybe the Cyclones would not have had to sweat it out if this cheerleader was in the lineup," the article said.

Methlie said he thinks the catch might have sparked some energy into the stands, which had been relatively quiet at the time. The Cyclones would go on to a narrow 29-26 win in triple overtime.

After the game, when Methlie went out to celebrate with his friends, he said people he didn't know kept coming up to him and congratulating him on the catch.

"Even today, like I walked into my 8 a.m. (class) and all these people started clapping for me," he said.

Has his display of good hands made him a recruiting target? Methlie laughed as he shot down any speculation.

"Absolutely not," he said. "It's been funny that people have said that."

Ian Richardson covers Ankeny and Altoona for the Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.

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