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Northwestern football's Pat Fitzgerald was suspended for two weeks on Friday after an investigation into hazing incidents that allegedly occurred in the head coach's program. On Saturday, former Wildcats players revealed the graphic details of the hazing incidents- and Fitzgerald's role in said occurrences. Here is what the former Northwestern football players told the school's newspaper, The Daily.
One former Northwestern football player said that one of the main hazing incidents was called “running”, which was a punishment for players who made mistakes on the field. The player called the incidents “vile” and “inhumane behavior.”
Any player selected for “running” would be restrained in a dark locker room by mask-wearing upperclassmen, who started to “dry-hump” the player.
This former Wildcats player said that he reported these incidents to the college in November of 2022.
The player also revealed that the universal signal used to identify a player for “running” was to clap one's hands above their heads around the target.
The Daily has video of a player making the signal during a game- and Fitzgerald allegedly made the signal during practices. One player said he felt the Northwestern football coach made the gesture in an effort to “encourage” the incidents to continue.
Attorney Maggie Hickey of independent firm ArentFox Schiff ruled that there was not “sufficient” evidence that Fitzgerald or any member of the coaching staff knew about the hazing.
The statements from these former Northwestern football players suggest otherwise. Fitzgerald was suspended for two weeks without pay.
It will be interesting to see how the university reacts with this new information out in the open.
