Weeks after the dismissal of strength coach Chris Doyle, accusations of dysfunction and racism within the Iowa football program are still surfacing.
This past Monday, former running back Akrum Wadley shared horror stories from within the program when he alleged abusive and racist behavior while naming Doyle, head coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz.
Wadley made the accusations on a Facebook post shared by Robert T. Green, an athlete advocate representing multiple Iowa players in their complaints about the program.
“I felt like playing for Iowa Football was a living nightmare. I never drank alcohol prior to going to college but based on my experience there it became the only thing I could rely on it seems and was what I did to cope. Game day was the only day that it was somewhat of a relief for me, but that even became difficult based on what happened during the week leading up to it.”
Wadley cited specific examples of abuse, including being berated by Brian Ferentz over a parking spot and even brought up the OC joking multiple times about the running back committing a robbery while wearing team-issued black hats.
“My time at Iowa has done things to me that I am not going to discuss because knowing how these people treated me and other black athletes. I am done giving them power over me. But if I could do it all over again. I wish I never played for the Iowa Hawkeyes. I would not encourage any future athletes or parents to send your kid to go play for the Iowa Hawkeyes under that current coaching staff. My experiences with people outside of the program in the Iowa community are ones that I cherish and will be with me forever grateful for. My hope is my story and those of my teammates save others from the experiences, truths and mistake of playing under and for a coaching staff at Iowa that did and said nothing to stop the bullying and racism from happening to us under Chris Doyle, Brian Ferentz and Kirk Ferentz. What you see on TV isn’t what you get behind closed doors.”
Wadley finished his four-year career with the Hawkeyes with 2,872 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, both in the top five in school history.
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“As a staff and as leaders, we will listen and take to heart the messages we hear,” Ferentz said in a statement earlier this month.
