“Mitch and I have both talked to him and we gave him a piece of our mind," Kroul said Friday at the Big Ten kickoff. “He knew he messed up, but with all the other things that have gone on, he needed to hear it from some other guys on the team."
That type of peer pressure is one way that Hawkeyes players and coaches hope the program can move beyond the growing collection of off-field incidents that have made headlines in recent months.
BLOG: Click here to read Iowa football beat writer Eric Page's reaction to news coming out of the Big Ten media kickoff
Over the past 16 months, 18 Iowa football players have been arrested or cited on 23 charges in Johnson County.
“It’s a little embarrassing for all of us," King said. “That’s not what our program is built. It’s been getting ridiculous, and it shouldn’t all be on the coaches’ shoulders to fix things. It’s on us, too."
That’s one reason King and Kroul – defensive linemen who share a position with Reiff – both took time to talk with the incoming freshman, hoping to educate him about the expectations of the team and change behavior patterns.
“The best thing we can do is pull them aside and tell them what they did wrong. Ultimately, it’s an individual decision but we’re going to do what we can to turn things around," King said. “We’re grown men, and we feel like we should be able to discipline ourselves."
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has provided some incentive, stiffening penalties for those who get out of line and extending those penalties beyond the individual who commits the infraction.
Those penalties have included bringing in the entire team or segments of the team for running sessions as early as 4 or 5 a.m.
“It’s designed to be a deterrent. There’s some peer pressure involved," King said. “I’ve had to do it a couple of times. I’ve tried to turn it into a positive, seeing it as just another workout to help me get better."
Kroul, who like King is a member of Iowa’s leadership council, said upperclassmen have taken on the responsibility of communicating with newcomers. Each has been assigned three newcomers to mentor, answering questions and helping them adjust to living in Iowa City.
“We’re here to help them," Kroul said. “Guys come from all sorts of backgrounds, from towns of all sizes. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation."
Kroul talked with seniors on last year’s team, trying to learn ways to dissect potential problems.
“If we see something that could become an issue, we’re going to try to be proactive," he said.
That’s one reason an emphasis on team building and togetherness has been a centerpiece of Iowa’s summer workouts.
“Coaches can only do so much," offensive lineman Seth Olsen said. “They do what they can to educate us and teach us to make the right choices, but the leaders on this team can help. They can set the tone.
“We’ve had a good, competitive summer, and I think we’ve done a good job of building unity. That’s where it has to start."
Ferentz believes the planned hiring of a player development assistant – the life skills position Iowa is in the process of adding to its staff – should also assist in helping younger players adjust to college life.
“We’re not looking to hire Dr. Phil, but we are searching for someone to provide us with another set of eyes and ears that can relate to young players and someone who can be there for them," Ferentz said.
He remains a realist, however.
“We don’t expect it to be a total panacea, but we are committed to cleaning things up," he said. “Maturity and experience does matter, and last year in many ways, we were not a mature football team. That will change a bit this year, and, hopefully, that will be reflected both on and off the field."
Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.
Comments
hawk wrote on Jul 26, 2008 5:21 PM:
" Thank God Kroul,King and others are bringing other players to account on this issue. Way to go hawks get your stuff together and kick some a__ this year.
go hawkeyes "
go hawkeyes "
ronclop wrote on Jul 30, 2008 7:59 AM: