Noah Fant Speaks About Controversy Over Brother’s Comments

[CP87]

Every single program has families frustrated with their kids playing time. I'm sure Jones's family might be thinking he should be the starting LB. I'm sure 2 of the 3 RBs families think their kid should be getting more touches. On and on down the depth chart you go it is what it is. If coaches were to spend 10 seconds a day per kid worrying about that they'd never get anything done or make anybody happy. But because he's a potential 1st round pick it's just a more in the news sort of thing than who the backup right guard is and how their splitting reps.

And if it was just about Fant needing more snaps, I don't think it would have raised so much controversy. But when it went from that to "the Iowa coaches are stupid" and "that is why it is and will always be a mediocre program", I can see why people got riled. Calling your brother's team mediocre seems like an odd way to support him.

And here I am, not letting it drop.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

And if it was just about Fant needing more snaps, I don't think it would have raised so much controversy. But when it went from that to "the Iowa coaches are stupid" and "that is why it is and will always be a mediocre program", I can see why people got riled. Calling your brother's team mediocre seems like an odd way to support him.

And here I am, not letting it drop.

Oh no doubt that surely separates it. It's one thing to just cry for more snaps. It's another to bash the coaches and program as a whole... Not to mention TJ they all but have called him a bum when he's quite frankly arguably the offensive MVP this year. (if you factor in his blocking too...) I'd like to know where he could have gone that'd have gotten him to where he's gotten 'better' in their eyes. It couldn't have been done faster. It sure as hell wouldn't have been Nebraska. If that's even remotely a part of their thought process their nuts. Even prior to having hindsight to look at that it wouldn't have been tough to figure out which is mostly why he chose Iowa to begin with.

 

[STILLBUSTER]

"Iowa has never had a TE as dominate and as athletic as Noah, so I understand why it’s soooo hard for you to understand...."

Granted Noah Fant is spectacularly athletic in many ways, but Iowa's had a few talented tight ends over the years. I take it that Willie Fant hasn't followed much Iowa ball over the years, and I have some doubts he currently follows it beyond what Noah is doing.

Not bashing Noah - the young man caught in the middle - but it's not even a debate that there have been many before him with a LOT better hands, a LOT better blocking skills and a LOT more toughness!

Hell, he sees ^^^ this every time he lines up and looks down the line of scrimmage at #38.

His (and his familys') eyes might be rudely opened, next year.

 

[HawkGold]

I guess I dont see the issue KF is a big boy. KF gets credit for 5 wins. Hawks were 10 better than Wisk with the turnovers due to play calling. The L is on KF.

If there were 6 w's and Noah had 30 percent more passes he would be a Hiesman candidate.

 

[GoHawks12345]

Not bashing Noah

This was bashing Noah. I don't think we should take his brother's comments, however wrong, and be equally unfair to Noah.

He's an elite player. Iowa is as much 'TE University' because players like Noah elect to come here, as anything else.

 

[NoBeer]

Now, it's over. We move on and he declares for the draft after the season.

This language has been used before in a way that makes me sense that they are connected. Is it like he was 100000% gone basically since the beginning of the season no matter what his draft grade or is like, "well now he's gone because there's friction with the coaching staff"?

 

[NoBeer]

Every single program has families frustrated with their kids playing time.

But they're not on Twitter calling Iowa a trash program like a low rent bitch.

 

[RobHowe]

This language has been used before in a way that makes me sense that they are connected. Is it like he was 100000% gone basically since the beginning of the season no matter what his draft grade or is like, "well now he's gone because there's friction with the coaching staff"?

I think it’s been trending that way since his pro day in March. The hype train picked up steam there after he had a good sophomore season and continued through the preseason when he was named an all-American and has been a projected first rounder pretty much everywhere.

I really don’t think this incident really affected anything. I think the plan was to go before that.

 

[NoBeer]

I think it’s been trending that way since his pro day in March. The hype train picked up steam there after he had a good sophomore season and continued through the preseason when he was named an all-American and has been a projected first rounder pretty much everywhere.

I really don’t think this incident really affected anything. I think the plan was to go before that.

Thanks Rob.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

But they're not on Twitter calling Iowa a trash program like a low rent bitch.

For sure no doubt. That's the difference. I bet some complain lightly on social media perhaps. I don't know that for sure. But yeah they clearly aren't saying the things they are about Iowa's program. It's just a dang good thing Noah isn't letting this affect him. His last season is halfway done it'll be interesting to see the closer to the end we get if he'd play in BIG title game if we were to get to it or bowl game...

 

[Northside Hawk]

Ding ding ding.
Big brother can't handle little brother being bigger or better. Talks crap about the school that made him.
Classless and jealous.

Somewhat like Rod Tidwell's brother in other words.

That's what made Jerry Maguire one of my favorites. If left out few details. From Dorothy's overbearing sister to Bob Sugar's antics to steal Kush to Tidwell's brother, it added layer upon layer to the underplot of the movie.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I disagree with that. I don't think KF is going to lie to an NFL scout/GM about one of his players. If a direct question is asked, he'll answer it. He won't rip the player but he'll speak candidly about it. As loyal as he is to his players, he has to remain loyal to all future players. If KF gets a reputation for glossing over his player's issues to NFL people, those NFL people will stop showing up to ask the questions. NFL people are worried about their pay checks too. If they draft players based on a coach's recommendation and it ends up biting them in the rear, they'll find other players to look at. KF would be stupid to try and cover for players in this situation. I don't think he's stupid.

The DJK situation definitely supports your point. DJK claims Kirk "blackballed" him (Kirk didn't, DJK blackballed himself with bad decisions) and I'm sure when Kirk was asked about him Kirk was honest in his assessment.

The poster back in April claimed that signs of petty immaturity, like high stepping into the end zone and freshman immaturity would keep Wadley from being drafted because Kirk would bring up the petty stuff. I think that went a little too far. ISM has already gone on the record on numerous occasions as saying Wadley took him him under his wing last year and showed him how to act like a Hawkeye. Ferentz has pointed out as well how Wadley became a solid leader by his senior year. Wadley simply got his NFL shot and came up a little short.

Ferentz has a long standing reputation of having a golden word when it comes to college talent. When Ozzie Newsome was holding the first draft in Baltimore Ravens history in 1995, he was under heavy pressure to draft Lawrence Phillips. He also had two solid offensive tackles, Orlando Brown and Tony Jones. Newsome asked Ferentz, the offensive line coach at the time, if a certain offensive tackle prospect could play guard in the short term. Absolutely, Ferentz said. Twenty years later Jonathon Ogden became one of the two best players in the history of the franchise and the best OT in the NFL for a decade. Ferentz will never do anything to potentially Sully that reputation!

 

[HawkleberryFinn]

The DJK situation definitely supports your point. DJK claims Kirk "blackballed" him (Kirk didn't, DJK blackballed himself with bad decisions) and I'm sure when Kirk was asked about him Kirk was honest in his assessment.

The poster back in April claimed that signs of petty immaturity, like high stepping into the end zone and freshman immaturity would keep Wadley from being drafted because Kirk would bring up the petty stuff. I think that went a little too far. ISM has already gone on the record on numerous occasions as saying Wadley took him him under his wing last year and showed him how to act like a Hawkeye. Ferentz has pointed out as well how Wadley became a solid leader by his senior year. Wadley simply got his NFL shot and came up a little short.

Ferentz has a long standing reputation of having a golden word when it comes to college talent. When Ozzie Newsome was holding the first draft in Baltimore Ravens history in 1995, he was under heavy pressure to draft Lawrence Phillips. He also had two solid offensive tackles, Orlando Brown and Tony Jones. Newsome asked Ferentz, the offensive line coach at the time, if a certain offensive tackle prospect could play guard in the short term. Absolutely, Ferentz said. Twenty years later Jonathon Ogden became one of the two best players in the history of the franchise and the best OT in the NFL for a decade. Ferentz will never do anything to potentially Sully that reputation!

DJK represents everything that's wrong with the me-first, gangsta-lifestyle-celebrating youth. This mentality centers around vanity. Fant's family seems to share in this way of thinking.

 

[Northside Hawk]

DJK represents everything that's wrong with the me-first, gangsta-lifestyle-celebrating youth. This mentality centers around vanity. Fant's family seems to share in this way of thinking.

DJK was actually raised by adoptive parents who, I'm going to guess as an adoptive parent myself, didn't share any of Fant's family values. It's more likely that DJK had permenant irreversible personalty issues from whatever his original upbringing he had and certain influences won him over in the end and I can tell you from first hand experience how heartbreaking that can be for a parent. I can only imagine how heartbroken his parents were when they sent him to one of the best family environments he could have chosen and he made some horrible decisions when on the cusp of a possible pro career because someone or several someones influenced him the wrong way in the end and Kirk did what he had to do. I can't imagine the heartbreak.

 

[lightning1]

The DJK situation definitely supports your point. DJK claims Kirk "blackballed" him (Kirk didn't, DJK blackballed himself with bad decisions) and I'm sure when Kirk was asked about him Kirk was honest in his assessment.

The poster back in April claimed that signs of petty immaturity, like high stepping into the end zone and freshman immaturity would keep Wadley from being drafted because Kirk would bring up the petty stuff. I think that went a little too far. ISM has already gone on the record on numerous occasions as saying Wadley took him him under his wing last year and showed him how to act like a Hawkeye. Ferentz has pointed out as well how Wadley became a solid leader by his senior year. Wadley simply got his NFL shot and came up a little short.

Ferentz has a long standing reputation of having a golden word when it comes to college talent. When Ozzie Newsome was holding the first draft in Baltimore Ravens history in 1995, he was under heavy pressure to draft Lawrence Phillips. He also had two solid offensive tackles, Orlando Brown and Tony Jones. Newsome asked Ferentz, the offensive line coach at the time, if a certain offensive tackle prospect could play guard in the short term. Absolutely, Ferentz said. Twenty years later Jonathon Ogden became one of the two best players in the history of the franchise and the best OT in the NFL for a decade. Ferentz will never do anything to potentially Sully that reputation!

I highly doubt KF would go out of his way to say something negative about one of his players, to a scout/GM. That wasn't what I was trying to infer. As far as DJK goes, his own newspaper headlines blackballed him. I don't believe that KF had to say a word. What did he think? That NFL GMs aren't going to conduct a simple background search? He was looking to blame anyone but himself for his NFL dreams being squashed. It was his own damn fault.
I had a situation with a College basketball coach that asked me about one of our players. He asked a specific question about this player. I didn't lie to him. I'm not going to lie to a college coach to try and get a player an offer. Not when the truth was pretty obvious.

 

[Adam]

When he was at his healthy best he was best two way TE as well. He was a punishing blocker. That got him on the field early and often. His pass catching was a bonus. We underutilized him in that regard I would say. He'd have a bigger gripe about that then Fant can ever say

Moeaki was the most impressive TE talent wise in Iowa history. He would be top 3 all time in NFL receiving yards and TD's had he had a healthy and long career. He did not ever have a healthy professional season though. Come to think of it he never really had a healthy full season of Collegiate ball either. Tony had more talent then even his body could handle. What a shame.

 

[Adam]

I think it’s been trending that way since his pro day in March. The hype train picked up steam there after he had a good sophomore season and continued through the preseason when he was named an all-American and has been a projected first rounder pretty much everywhere.

I really don’t think this incident really affected anything. I think the plan was to go before that.

The only thing that changed was the coaches actually had the talk with him early. Normally they like to wait until after the season to have the "discussion". In this case it was put on the table and decided in week 6.

Noah may have known he was gone after this year all along, but there was no official communication about said intention. That has changed and all parties know exactly where things stand.

Iowa has again stated its commitment to Noah to help him achieve his dream and capitalize on his skills. A large portion of that task is keeping Noah healthy while keeping him productive. Someone who can't perform at the combine can severely damage their earning potential. That's the funny thing about this. Noah's family is complaining about the process in which the coaches have implemented to keep Noah healthy and viable for a first night draft party. Oh the irony.

If I were Kirk I would say hell with it. Throw the ball to Fant 10 times over the middle against Penn St. I bet he would be on injury report until the Nebraska game. That will teach his ignorant relatives.

 

[judzeehawk]

The only thing that changed was the coaches actually had the talk with him early. Normally they like to wait until after the season to have the "discussion". In this case it was put on the table and decided in week 6.

Noah may have known he was gone after this year all along, but there was no official communication about said intention. That has changed and all parties know exactly where things stand.

Iowa has again stated its commitment to Noah to help him achieve his dream and capitalize on his skills. A large portion of that task is keeping Noah healthy while keeping him productive. Someone who can't perform at the combine can severely damage their earning potential. That's the funny thing about this. Noah's family is complaining about the process in which the coaches have implemented to keep Noah healthy and viable for a first night draft party. Oh the irony.

If I were Kirk I would say hell with it. Throw the ball to Fant 10 times over the middle against Penn St. I bet he would be on injury report until the Nebraska game. That will teach his ignorant relatives.

I would think Noah has had conversations with his idiot brother running his mouth. He's not going to tell the public about it though. Are his relatives still running their mouth?

 

[lightning1]

Moeaki was the most impressive TE talent wise in Iowa history. He would be top 3 all time in NFL receiving yards and TD's had he had a healthy and long career. He did not ever have a healthy professional season though. Come to think of it he never really had a healthy full season of Collegiate ball either. Tony had more talent then even his body could handle. What a shame.

TM was an impressive specimen. We've had many here at Iowa.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

I don't know but we had a poster on this board last spring who hinted that Kirk may have leaked certain things about Wadley's character in his early years at Iowa to NFL folks and speculated it was a big reason why he didn't get drafted.

Yeah, another one of the crackpots that inhabit this board.