Following Northwestern's two-week suspension of head football coach Pat Fitzgerald, players have come forth denying all accusations of hazing in their program.
football players released a joint statement Saturday night following allegations that the team conducted hazing involving sexual abuse with head coach Pat Fitzgerald knowing about it. detailing allegations of"absolutely egregious and vile and inhumane behavior" that took place within the organization. It ultimately led the university to suspend Fitzgerald for two weeks this past Friday.
"It is disheartening to see that the allegations brought forth against our team have been exaggerated and twisted into lies. These fabrications have been made with the intention of harming our program and tarnish the reputation of our dedicated players and coaching staff. We firmly deny the validity of these accusations and stand united in our assertion that they do not reflect the true character of our team.
Fitzgerald denied knowing about the allegations, though the player that came forward to The Daily Northwestern said he would make a signal during practice that showed he was in on the hazing. The player explained how clapping above the heads of players by other team members indicated that the player must be"ran," and Fitzgerald was allegedly in on it.
Other hazing incidents allegedly include stripping naked and performing various acts, including bear crawling. The player said a freshman quarterback was also forced to take a snap from a freshman center while they were both naked.
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