Plagued Northwestern football took another big hit on Monday when the school newspaper posted an investigative report alleging a racist environment within the program.
The Daily Northwestern reported three players from the late 2000s described a “culture of enabling racism.”
BREAKING: Three former players said Northwestern football program had a “culture of enabling racism.”https://t.co/nWPgqCxA6g
— The Daily Northwestern (@thedailynu) July 10, 2023
This comes days after the same paper reported hazing allegations within Northwestern football.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald had received a two-week suspension from the school because of the hazing allegations. After the report surfaced, school officials said they were reviewing that penalty.
Ramon Diaz Jr., a Latino offensive lineman for Northwestern from 2005 to 2008, said his experience on the football team was hostile as a non-white player.
“I didn’t feel like I could be anything other than white,” Diaz told The Daily. “We never felt like we could be ourselves. We had to fit in by being white or acting white or laughing at our own people.”
Another player, who asked to remain anonymous and played through the 2009 season, said racism on the team was often blatant. He alleged head coach Pat Fitzgerald would ask Black players and coaches to cut off longer hairstyles — including dreadlocks — so that they were more in line with what Fitzgerald called the “Wildcat Way.”
These allegations caught the university off-guard:
“The alleged ‘racist commentary and behavior toward non-white players’ by Coach Fitzgerald and members of his staff would be entirely unacceptable and inconsistent with our culture and values, if true,” university spokesperson Jon Yates wrote in an email. “As we do with any allegation, we will immediately address the accusations and any findings will be considered.”
For the entire report, click here.
