Global Courant
Northwestern University football players released a joint statement Saturday night following allegations that the team engaged in sexual assault-related hazing while head coach Pat Fitzgerald knew about it.
A report from The Daily Northwestern had a former player laying out allegations of “absolutely egregious and vile and inhumane conduct” taking place within the organization. It eventually led to the university suspending Fitzgerald for two weeks last Friday.
However, the ENTIRE Northwestern Football Team wrote a letter, obtained by ESPN, to push back the claims made in that report.
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Northwestern Wildcats linebacker Bryce Gallagher reacts after a tackle against the Purdue Boilermakers on November 19, 2022 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Northwestern Football players will NOT tolerate hazing,” the letter read. “We want to reiterate that as representatives of the Northwestern Football program, we do not tolerate hazing of any kind. Hazing is against our values of respect, integrity and personal growth. We are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment that promotes well-being and development of each individual in our team.
“It is disheartening to see the allegations against our team have been exaggerated and twisted into lies. These fabrications are made with the intention of damaging our program and tarnishing the reputation of our dedicated players and coaching staff. We strongly deny the validity of these allegations and are united in our claim that they do not reflect the true character of our team.”
The letter added that Northwestern conducted an “independent third-party” investigation into the matter that took “six rigorous months.” The research included interviews with current and former players and coaching staff.
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Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald runs off the field after losing to the Wisconsin Badgers at Ryan Field on October 8, 2022 in Evanston, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“Following this thorough investigation, outside counsel, working with the university, reached its own conclusions, which we trust were based on a fair and unbiased assessment of the facts,” the letter continued.
Fitzgerald denied being aware of the allegations, although the player who came forward to The Daily Northwestern said he would signal during practice that he was engaged in the hazing.
“It is critical to note that our Head Coach, Pat Fitzgerald, was in no way involved in any of the alleged incidents,” the letter read. “Coach Fitzgerald had no knowledge of these allegations until they were brought to his attention during the investigation. Throughout his tenure, Coach Fitzgerald has consistently prioritized the well-being and development of his players, and we stand with him in his non- unwavering dedication to our team.
“We urge you to respect the privacy and well-being of those involved, including both the accused and the accusers. Our team remains committed to our head coach and upholding Northwestern University’s values and fostering a positive, inclusive and respectful environment for all.”
The player who came forward explained how most freshmen would be “dry-(humped)” by upperclassmen dressed in “Purge-like” masks in a drill called “running”. A player would be “run” if fouls were made.
The player explained how blows over the heads of players by other team members indicated that the player should be “run” and that Fitzgerald was allegedly involved.
Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald reacts during the Wisconsin Badgers game on October 8, 2022 in Evanston, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“It’s a shocking experience as a freshman to see your fellow freshman teammates running, but then you see everyone standing in the locker room,” the player said. “It’s just a very abrasive and barbaric culture that has permeated that program for years.
“Everyone would just look at each other and say, ‘Bro, Fitz knows about this,’ because you wouldn’t take that action otherwise,” the player added. “Everyone joins in because he’s the head coach.”
Other incidents of hazing are reportedly stripping naked and performing various acts, including a bear crawling. The player said a freshman quarterback was also forced to take a snapshot from a freshman center while they were both naked.
There is also the “Gatorade Shake Challenge”, where players are forced to consume as many Gatorade shakes as possible within 10 minutes, which would cause many to vomit.
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Fitzgerald, who has been a coach at the university since 2006, issued a statement saying he was “deeply disappointed” when he learned about the allegations against his program.
“Northwestern football prides itself on producing not only athletes, but fine young men of character befitting the program and our university,” he noted. “We hold our student-athletes and our program to the highest standards; we will continue to work to exceed those standards in the future.”
The university will require all coaches, staff and athletes to follow anti-hazing practices.
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald of the Northwestern Wildcats against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on October 1, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania.
Northwestern may reverse Fitzgerald’s two-week suspension given the new allegations that have emerged from the student newspaper.
“In determining an appropriate punishment for the head coach, I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn’t know and not enough on what he should have known,” Northwestern president Michael Schill wrote in a letter to ESPN Saturday.
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“As the head coach of one of our athletic programs, Coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program, but he also has to take great care in maintaining our institutional commitment to the student experience….Clearly, he has that commitment failed to comply, and I did not take sufficient account of that failure when imposing a sanction.”
Ryan Morik of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Scott Thompson is a sportswriter for Fox News Digital.
