The black community seems to have finally reached their breaking point following the death of George Floyd. Protests have spread across the country. Athletes of color in every sport are speaking out like never before. Especially in the NFL. Akiem Hicks and Danny Trevathan recently talking to Chicago Bears media about the discussions being had in the locker room regarding these issues. All the while one of their young teammates James Daniels took it upon himself to pursue similar change elsewhere.
The 22-year old guard attended the University of Iowa. He had considerable success there and became an eventual 2nd round pick for Chicago. While grateful for that opportunity, he couldn’t stay silent on how racist both the program and community could be at times.
Daniels was the first player to have the courage to speak up. Once that happened, an avalanche of former teammates and other black Iowa players started to do the same. Many of them directing their anger at Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle or the local law enforcement. The sheer number is striking.
James Daniels certainly got the attention of the Iowa program
Obviously the program could not stay silent on the subject after something like this. Longtime head coach Kirk Ferentz, one of the most respected in college football, issued a statement via the team’s Twitter. He stated he is fully supportive of what they’re trying to accomplish and has already begun contacting them on an individual basis to hear their stories. From the sound of things, he had no idea it was that bad.
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This is a reminder that head coaches are far from the omnipotent beings some perceive them to be in a locker room. They can be surprisingly ignorant of things happening on their team. Being so focused on football combined with players being afraid to speak up can do that. Here’s hoping Ferentz backs up his words and is willing to pursue legitimate change.
If so, then Daniels accomplished something big for future black players there.