'Flat-Out Not True': Ferentz Addresses Wadley Allegations
Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz has stayed away from commenting on individual allegations made by former players about racial disparities within the Hawkeyes' program.
But during his Thursday press conference, Ferentz wanted to make one thing clear — he tried to help former running back Akrum Wadley succeed at the next level.
Earlier, Wadley spoke about his time with the Iowa football program, tabbing his time in Iowa City as “a living nightmare.”
Wadley said that Ferentz had threatened to take away his meal card at one point during the weight program, and that he eventually followed through with his words.
But on Thursday, Ferentz addressed Wadley’s allegations, saying he was caught off guard by the former running back’s comments.
“Some of the things were just flat-out not true,” Ferentz said regarding Wadley’s allegations. “Not true. I mean, we have never held back a (meal) card. I’m not a great record keeper. (Iowa assistant director of football operations) Ben Hansen is meticulous. Never happened.
“... As recently as May 26, his mom and I were having good conversations. I had no sense it was that bad, quite frankly.”
Ferentz didn’t stop there. He added that he even tried everything in his power to land Wadley a spot in the XFL after he failed to stay on rosters in the NFL and AAF.
“(I had) conversations with his mom about trying to get him place in the XFL, work that probably his agent should have been doing,” he said. “But trying to help, I knew some people in the XFL. I think he went to Atlanta as a result of that conversation. So yeah, I was surprised.”
Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz listens to athletic director Gary Barta speak during Thursday's press conference in Iowa City. (Katina Zentz/Iowa City Press-Citizen-Imagn Content Services)
How does this relate to the Husch Blackwell report?
Coaches’ influence on playing at the next level was something brought up in the Husch Blackwell independent review, which was released Thursday.
The Ferentz family has a history in the NFL — Kirk was a member of the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens’ coaching staff and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz played in the league before serving as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots.
In turn, players think the coaching staff influenced their NFL Draft prospects.
They believed a certain coach had the ability to “make or break” their careers at the next level, according to the Husch Blackwell report on the Iowa football program.
“Numerous former players alleged that the coach used his influence with NFL scouts to ‘blackball’ players, mostly Black players, whom he did not like,” according to the report. “The allegation that the coach would ‘blackball’ players was repeated by one coach, who did not address whether race influenced this; he said that the coach tried to ‘blackball’ players with the NFL or negatively impact their prospects.”
The report details one player who said Iowa coaches said he was “not a team guy and had an attitude issue.”
Another said he was tabbed a “toxic player” and that he would “ruin his team.” This player said his current team informed him of the comments made by an Iowa coach. He also alleges the coaches called him “cocky, irresponsible, and arrogant.” This same player said that at Iowa’s pro day, a scout told him the Iowa coach informed him he was “undraftable.”
Additionally, players felt discouraged from training for the NFL Combine and Iowa’s pro day in the team facility, feeling as though it was “an implicit requirement.” They felt as though if they trained elsewhere, coaches would give negative feedback to scouts.
The report says coaches denied giving any negative feedback to NFL scouts. A coach said he never made the “undraftable” comment.
“(Ferentz) stated that it would be ‘counter-intuitive’ for a coach to say negative things about players to NFL scouts,” the report said.
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