So sad and disappointing that Iowa receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr. lives in fear
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – This past year has been rough on Iowa receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr., both on the field and off.
His statistics during the 2020 season fell drastically compared to the previous season, and Tracy admitted Tuesday on a zoom conference with the media that he didn’t handle his reduced role as well as he should have, especially early in the season.
But he looked in the mirror, took into account that Iowa had two star senior receivers in Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith, and challenged himself to do better, and to put the team first.
Tracy also met with Iowa receiver’s coach Kelton Copeland, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz and head coach Kirk Ferentz and they all told him that he was doing nothing wrong, and they encouraged him to just keep working.
“So I realized I had to look in the mirror and basically just pep talk myself,” Tracy said.
The football side of things has worked itself out as Tracy is expected to be one of Iowa’s go-to receivers in the 2021 season now that Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith both have moved on to what they hope is a career in the NFL.
Tracy has become a leader during spring practice as one of Iowa’s most veteran and established receivers.
“I’ve got really high goals for this year,” said Tracy, who only had 14 catches last season after having 36 in 2019.
“Obviously, knowing that Brandon Smith and Ihmir left, I have some big shoes to fill, and I’m ready to take on that role.
“But on the other hand, I’m taking it day by day. I’m not trying to rush things. I’m still working on my craft, and still working on my routes, and just being an overall good teammate.”
It’s away from football where Tracy still is suffering and hurting, where as a young black man, he still is angry and concerned about his safety, and about the safety of his family.
The past 10 months have been filled with racial unrest for Tracy, from the controversial death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis to the multiple former black Iowa players who last June accused the football program of racial disparities to the recent death of 20-year Daunte Wright at the hands of a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minn., who reportedly mistook her gun for a taser.
There is also the recent incident in Virginia in which a black U.S. Army officer was pulled over at gun point and then pepper sprayed and ultimately pulled from his vehicle.
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario, who is black and Latino, was pulled over in a newly purchased Chevrolet Tahoe SUV for not having a rear license plate, according to a lawsuit that has since been filed by Nazario.
The two officers failed to notice that Nazario had his temporary plates taped inside the rear window of the vehicle.
One of the officers has since been fired, but Tracy still is angry and frustrated about what happened, and fearful about what could happen to him as a black man, or to his family.
“Me personally, I think it’s very disturbing, it’s very disturbing,” said Tracy, who is from Camby, Ind. “I’ve got three brothers, I’ve got a dad and a mom, and I’m not with them right now. So I know they’re worried about me and I’m worried about them.
“So it just takes a toll on us.”
Tracy’s role as an Iowa receiver suddenly didn’t seem as important after he shared his feelings about the anger and fear that he lives with every day.
Unfortunately, this topic has become political, which it shouldn’t be.
It’s heartbreaking to think that Tracy worries about his safety, and about the safety of his family, simply because of their skin color.
He has so much to be happy about, and to keep him busy and motivated as an Iowa football player, and yet, Tracy’s thoughts are consumed by the racial unrest that is tearing apart the United States.
He feels that he has a target on his back simply because of his skin color.
And whether you agree with him or not, it doesn’t matter because that‘s how Tracy feels.
It’s sad, and disappointing, because we as a people, and as a country, should be better than that.
I couldn’t begin to imagine as a white man how it would feel to be worried about my family’s safety simply because of their skin color.
Tracy already has so much on his mind as a student-athlete who is trying to stay safe and healthy during a global pandemic.
But to live in constant fear due to what he considers systematic racism is a weight, and a burden, that nobody should have to carry.
It was sort of disappointing to hear Tracy say under the unique circumstances that Iowa hasn’t spent any time this spring as a team addressing the racial controversies that have occurred.
But on the other hand, there are only so many opportunities to practice and to get better during the spring, so it would be unfair to judge the direction of the Iowa program from a culture standpoint based on what happens in the spring because time is precious.
Chris Doyle lost his job as the Iowa strength and conditioning coach last June, and barely two weeks after the accusations of racial disparities were made public. Most of the accusations were directed at Doyle, who has since been replaced by former interim strength and conditioning coach Raimond Braithwaite.
And while the weight training methods are still pretty much the same under Braithwaite, there is at least one noticeable change, according to Tracy.
“That’s one thing that Ray has changed since he took over; he’s making sure that everyone on the team is helping everyone on team,” Tracy said. “Over this past year, nothing really had changed in the weight room. We’re still lifting hard, we’re still getting at it.
“But he’s just taking a different approach.”
I respect Tyrone Tracy Jr. for taking a stand, and for expressing himself on social media.
He is a proud black man who believes strongly that his race is being mistreated and he refuses to be quiet about.
That probably makes him an enemy to some, but Tracy apparently doesn’t care because some things are just too important.
Tracy is sick and tired of seeing black people being mistreated, and in some cases, being killed by those whose job is to protect and serve.
And nobody has the right to tell him how he should feel.