Some examples of players tweeting:
James Daniels and the tweet that started it all:
"There are too many racial disparities in the Iowa football program. Black players have been treated unfairly for far too long."
lol strength n conditioning coach at Iowa CoAch DOYLE ask me did I gangbang in the offseason cause I ain’t run track or wrestle. Type shit is that. Pops was ready to kill em.
Dude ass told me I couldn’t afford golf clubs
Marcel Joly:
"Thank you James!! I remember when I used to wear my tank tops in the facility, I used to get called in the coaches office because I had too much tattoos and it wasn’t the “Iowa culture” or the “Iowa Way”."
Faith Ekakitie
"Coach Ferentz is one of the reasons I committed to Iowa as a high school senior. He cares, and he gets it. However, for this program in particular, real change begins with @coach_Doyle and his Strength & Conditioning staff."
Former Hawk LeBron Daniel
"As @Mike_Daniels76 said yesterday, they don’t want to have that convo bro! "
Former Iowa Defensive Lineman and current Detroit Tackle Mike Daniels:
Whoops (with eye emojis)
Former WR
Tevaun Smith (quoting Jame's tweet)
A lot of my brothers dealt with issues and I’m glad someone is speaking on it now.
DJ Johnson (Former Hawkeye CB from Indy who just left the program. Chose Iowa ahead of offers from Notre Dame and LSU.)
What’s done in the dark always gone come to the light
Former LB Aaron Mends posts an iPhone notes statement:
Says that there are "team rules" disgused as "culture" that may be oppressional to black players. Says it's hard to be a black player at Iowa. I encourage you to read the whole thing.
Reggie Spearman:
I personally believe Doyle and Kirk from my own experiences aren’t inclusive and understanding of young black athletes
Former RB Toren Young (who
just graduated):
If you are a black player you quickly learn to conform to white culture (when in the building) at Iowa and if you don’t. You won’t make it very long
James Daniels was kicked out of workouts because his shoes weren't tied properly
I got kicked out of workouts because my shoes weren’t tied properly. Lol
https://twitter.com/leellxvii/status/1269066388959834113
I'm not sure who @organicallycool is but they were kicked out of workouts because only half their hair was braided
@organicallycoolremember when they kicked you out of workouts because only half your hair was braided
https://twitter.com/SuperCooper93/status/1269062741853122560
Jordan Lomax speaks out:
I stand with my fellow Hawkeye Brothers advocating for a cultural shift in the Iowa Football Program. We were disproportionately represented as a result of black players leaving prematurely due to either double standards or the inability of the coaching staff to relate with our culture. I have much respect for KF and other coaches on the staff as men of great integrity, principles, & morals and I am confident they have the ability be a part of the solution. As my brother @Faith_Joseph already mentioned, “the change starts in the weight room”
https://twitter.com/jordanlomax27/status/1269084300265295874
Read this one. Manny Rugamba with a damning statement:
https://twitter.com/BooRadd_/status/1269090150493143041
From former DB Anthony Gair:
Says his time at Iowa was decent for the most part. Says coaches didn't support them in entrepenuerial things, even if they weren't distractions.
https://twitter.com/jamsdans/status/1269092412393218054
Former Iowa and current Titan's DB Amani Hooker:
I remember whenever walking into the facility it would be difficult for black players to walk around the facility and be themselves. As if the way you grew up was the wrong way or wasn’t acceptable & that you would be judge by that and it would impact playing time. For a lot of guys it was just constant anxiety and pressure to be someone they really aren’t to play a game they love, which affected school & there play.
https://twitter.com/amanihooker37/status/1269075030673162243
Another damning statement from a black player that wished to remain anonymous:
"I won't speak much on it but I'll just say Iowa is far from the program they seems to be to the average person looking from the outoutside in. They are very prejudice and like James said the black players are treated very unfairly and that played a big part in me transferring. Being a black athlete at Iowa you have to be mentally tough you never know that experience you are going to have walking in that building DAILY. There's not one black player on that team who actually enjoys being at Iowa we just endure it because we know the benefits that come with being a Iowa football player at the next level. There's a reason Iowa won't allow players to have a freedom of speech on social media sites like Twitter. Because if they give players that type of platform things of this nature would come out! The truth!! When we are silenced they control the narrative
https://twitter.com/devine_tyler/status/1269103825388015617
The above 'anonymous' statement turns out to be
DJ Johnson
This was me. only reason its anonymous is because i was asked for a comment but id rather speak on it myself. I want my experiences to be justified by me not somebody reporting for me but let y’all tell it. Like I said playing time was far from the reason of my transferring.
An anonymous white player implicates Ferentz:
https://twitter.com/devine_tyler/status/1269118879462305794
Cedric Boswell speaks out about Doyle and mentions Brian Ferentz in this iPhone notes statement:
https://twitter.com/cjboswell98/status/1269121916964614145?s=21
Terrance Pryor speaks out about a racist incident with Doyle in which Doyle made a “black people don’t like boats in water” stereotype remark:
https://twitter.com/tpryor51/status/1269104017705222144?s=21
Former WR Maurice Fleming in a message to James Daniels
https://twitter.com/jamsdans/status/1269137243219865601?s=20
Jaleel Johnson on an interaction with Kirk Ferentz
I got my new Chevy camero, KF called me in his office and asked me how I got it. But one of our tight ends had an obnoxious, over the top pick up truck and shit was cool with him lol
https://twitter.com/jamsdans/status/1269137243219865601?s=20
(copies from a reddit post)
High & mighty Iowa, salts of the earth they are
