Hawkeyes put distractions behind them in 2018

By Marc Morehouse, The Gazette

IOWA CITY ? The Hawkeyes pushed away from the dock last week for their annual three-month fishing trip, aka the football season.

Four pairs of sunglasses fell into the lake. It?s OK, though, head coach Kirk Ferentz said on Friday during the team?s media day. They?ll double back around and fish out the sunglasses in week 2.

Obviously, the lost sunglasses are the four suspensions the Hawkeyes will have to overcome in their season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 1 at Kinnick Stadium.

Offensive tackle Alaric Jackson and defensive tackle Cedrick Lattimore were suspended for violations of team policies this week. Earlier this summer, offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (OWI) and defensive tackle Brady Reiff (public intoxication) were suspended following alcohol arrests.

They had to come out on media day and answer questions about their suspensions. With maybe 50 media outlets hovering, they probably had to answer that question multiple times.

?It?s embarrassing, I feel like I let a lot of people down,? said Wirfs, a sophomore who last season became the first true freshman to start at offensive tackle under head coach Kirk Ferentz, who is entering season No. 20. ?You don?t want to forget about it, but you want to move past it. My mom said there?s greener grass ahead.?

That could not have been fun. No, this is not the way a serious football team starts a season.

Ferentz realizes that. So, the next logical question is gauging the maturity level of a football team with just 13 seniors and that was hit with four suspensions and another late departure (safety Brandon Snyder left the team July 31) almost at the same time the boat was leaving the dock.

This is why the boat will turn around and pick up the stranded Hawkeyes.

?When guys come forward and are unified with a message, that?s really an encouraging thing,? Ferentz said. ?A lot of times it can really galvanize football teams. ...

?The good news out of all this in my mind is just the way the team has responded, and I couldn?t be more proud and happy with the way the guys have handled this whole thing, and I think there?s a real strong commitment to move forward and do it in the right way.?

The idea that the players sit silently when all of this stuff is going down, that?s not exactly correct. The leadership committee does have input and sometimes more than that. Ferentz is the boss, but this group does have a say.

And it wanted all accounts settled before practice started last Friday. Ferentz said he remembered two previous incidents that happened late in the summer ? ?Summer seems to be a real interesting time? ? and somehow tightened whatever bond that glues a team together.

?There are certain standards we have, and either you abide by them or you don?t, and if you don?t, then there?s a price to pay, and then we move on, also,? Ferentz said. ?I?m big on that. I think it?s critical. I don?t think you can have a doghouse and be a coach or a parent, unless it just becomes a chronic issue, and if it is, then you have to address it.

?If I was worried about that, none of the players in question would be on the team right now if that were the case. It?s not my favorite part of the job, but it?s part of the job. It?s like being a parent. Kids don?t always need another friend. That?s the bottom line. Sometimes you have to say no, and it?s not OK. Let?s do it again. We do it on the field all the time. Famous last words: Do it again. Or one more rep.?