Rather, communicated...I have spoken with some, traded texts with some others, and emails with one more.
I simply asked them for a reaction to hearing 12 players are in the hospital due to what sounds like a killer, post Christmas break workout.
The overwhelming majority of them showed no hesitation, no pause, and said the 'squat' workout that is being reported as a part of the culprit, is something that has been done regularly in the past.
In fact, there were a few instances in the Ferentz era where it was a once per week occurrence over a three week period...and the players dreaded going into workout on those days, because it was grueling, and more than a few players lost their cookies on that day.
BUT...the overwhelming reaction from the players I spoke with was pretty simple; This is Iowa football. This is how we do what we do. There is a sign in the Iowa weight room that reads Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn't Work Hard.
They live that.
A few of the guys, knowing that the players have been reported as improving and doing well, chuckled a bit.
No, they are not wishing injury or illness on anyone...it was born out of being a part of that fraternity, for having been through what the current players are going through, remembering back to their time in it.
One former player told me that the NFL workouts and practice regiment was easier than it was at Iowa. But he instantly said that getting to the NFL without the Iowa strength and conditioning system would have been unlikely for him
So when I posted earlier that this ain't intramurals, I was only regurgitating the sentiment from most of the former players I spoke with today.
Now, with 12 players getting ill at the same time, that is certain a question that looms in all of this...I get that.
But based on things some have reported, most of the people I have spoken with feel this was brought on by a common workout practice that hundreds of Iowa players have been through before, and it's employed to 'shock' the nervous system back into place after a period of inactivity, to get ready for the foundation building that takes place each and every Iowa winter off season.
Most of us on here never played football at this level...the majority never played football beyond high school, and some people never lifted a weight more than casually in their life...so it's tough for some to relate to this.
Again, the 12 number is a question mark, and Kirk will be asked about this next Wednesday at his signing day presser, no question about that.
