Kirk Ferentz sees different tone and demeanor from his players with fall football reinstated
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Kirk Ferentz addressed multiple topics with the media during a 30-minute zoom conference on Thursday.
Iowa’s all-time winningest football coach said he noticed a change in tone and demeanor from his players after the Big Ten Conference announced on Wednesday morning that the 2020 fall football season had been reinstated.
“It was really great to get some clarity in terms of where we’re going as a football conference and what it’s like moving forward,” Ferentz said. “I can just tell you, it was really exciting for our players to get that news yesterday, to see their faces.
“I announced it to the various groups in the morning, and we had a team meeting last night. It was just a total different demeanor and tone.”
Ferentz didn’t have much from a news standpoint, although he did say that a few players were considering not playing this season due to concerns with the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“We have a very small number that have concerns; that have expressed concerns, but no final announcements at this point.” Ferentz said. “If we do get verification or final announcements, we’ll announce that when it’s appropriate.
“But it hasn’t been overly concerning. I think back a couple months ago, that was on a lot of people’s minds. But in a general way, I just think our players are really excited about this opportunity and they’re excited to play.”
Ferentz said no decision has been made about how the team will participate in the National Anthem.
There is speculation some players might choose to kneel in the wake of having multiple former black Iowa players say there are racial disparities within the program.
Most of the accusations were directed at Chris Doyle, who has since been removed as Iowa’s strength and conditioning coach after 20 seasons on the job.
“We had two very good meetings, very lively discussions and we didn’t finalize anything, but we left it, I think, in a good place,” Ferentz said.
It was thought for a while that the Big Ten would start the season in January, so Ferentz said discussions about the National Anthem hasn’t been a focus.
“We’ll have plenty of time to revisit that now as we move forward,” Ferentz said.
Ferentz also was asked how concerned he is about the possible long-term effects that are caused by the coronavirus.
One of the main reasons the Big Ten canceled the season in August was due to concerns about long-term effects the virus could have on the heart, including myocarditis.
The conference has since put together a detailed plan on how to best deal with the highly contagious virus on a daily basis.
Players will now be tested on a daily basis, which wasn’t available a month ago.
“We’ve chosen a path that really errs on the side of caution with the players, and that’s the way it should be, quite frankly,” Ferentz said.
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