Willies

[trj]

Ferentz said publicly that he is a good kid, good in the classroom and would be welcome back. that is good enough for me.

Pretty much works for me as well.

 

[homes]

Not that the Hawks couldn't use him at some point, but I doubt he ever comes back on the team, unless there's a lot behind the scenes that we know nothing about.

 

[docholihawk]

I would call it an opinion, but I heard it from 2 completely different sources within the football team. I am not going to share the exact words they chose to describe him. No way I'm sharing these 2 names. So summarize it:freak athlete, unbelievable talent, uncoachable and the last while was late to everything. He is not coming back.

Did you guys hear about the time he took his helmet off during practice and started hitting a DB with it?

If he was constantly late we would have heard about it. KF punishes players for things like that and it's not like information hasn't come out before in situations like this.

 

[okeefe4prez]

CJ's interview is pretty hard to refute. CJ stated that he believed he and Willies were "close" in describing their friendship. CJ also said playing time was a factor. I don't see how this could be taken out of context, so, my feeling is it's a done deal. Too bad, DW was one of my favorite youngsters. If he comes back, then let bygones be bygones. But I don't think coaches can really allow it at any program.

We are undefeated with him gone. Dude was probably a cancer in the locker room because he was a special snowflake who thinks he should play immediately and so I say "good riddance."

 

[99topdawg]

And who did you and HawkeyeMike hear this from that Willies was a cancer on the team??

Is this really first hand knowledge or from someone's uncle's buddie's son who is a frosh at Iowa who heard it from some girl who sits 3 rows behind Willies in Sociology

It isn't firsthand or anything, but Lew Montgomery and Trevor Bollers said the same thing on the post game show on Saturday. Really didn't have a lot of good things to say about him, other than good riddance.

 

[ChosenChildren]

I think with 18 or 19 year old kids that you have to remember that they sometimes make bad decisions and they make mistakes. They also get homesick. Willies is a special talent and if he wants to come back the coaches should, and will, welcome him with open arms!!!!

 

[hawkinn3]

If he was so much of a "tumor" to the point where him being gone has caused the offense to have its best game in years, why didn't Kirk dismiss him before?

 

[PCHawk]

Since it's almost impossible for anyone to actually believe that an entire team played better because one freshman wide reciever left, people might want to assume he wasn't being serious.

 

[GVhawk10]

If it was a playing time issue then it's best for both sides. Good for him to try and find playing time somewhere else to better his career. Good for Iowa because you don't need someone whining about playing time and having a me first mentality in the middle of a B1G title chase. Now, I'm not saying that's DW mentality, because I don't know him.

 

[DP5555]

If he was constantly late we would have heard about it. KF punishes players for things like that and it's not like information hasn't come out before in situations like this.

I hope you're not being serious. Unless it involves the law Kirk almost always keeps things inside the locker room. Willies never got in trouble with the law. If he indeed had a bad attitude and was consistently late to team related activities then it appears Kirk could have been punishing him by... gasp... not playing him!

Kirk and Belichick are very similar coaches. Make no mistake Kirk keeps things in house if he can. For instance, I have very little doubt Kirk will say a player is "a little dinged up" as a reason that he isn't playing simply to benefit the kid even if the true reason he isn't playing is because he's making stupid choices. Telling the general public that a kid is making stupid choices doesn't benefit anyone. Obviously he has to talk about it if it involves the law, but aside from that I'm about 99% positive Kirk would rather keep everything on the down low.

By all accounts, it seems like Willies was a good kid. I've never heard anything differently. However, I will say the rumors that have been shared in this thread don't surprise me. It makes sense. Willies has a bunch of talent. He was likely being kept off the field for a reason, and if his attitude was the problem it makes sense. If that is the case then I don't blame KF for handling it the way he did. When you let a kid with a bunch of talent and a bad attitude play in front of guys who are doing things the right way it can cause other problems as well. Look what happened with Rodney Coe and David Irving. They were a cancer to their team, and the fact Rhoads let them get away with it unpunished for so long clearly caused some frustration inside the locker room.

 

[PCHawk]

I hope you're not being serious. Unless it involves the law Kirk almost always keeps things inside the locker room. Willies never got in trouble with the law. If he indeed had a bad attitude and was consistently late to team related activities then it appears Kirk could have been punishing him by... gasp... not playing him!

Kirk and Belichick are very similar coaches. Make no mistake Kirk keeps things in house if he can. For instance, I have very little doubt Kirk will say a player is "a little dinged up" as a reason that he isn't playing simply to benefit the kid even if the true reason he isn't playing is because he's making stupid choices. Telling the general public that a kid is making stupid choices doesn't benefit anyone. Obviously he has to talk about it if it involves the law, but aside from that I'm about 99% positive Kirk would rather keep everything on the down low.

By all accounts, it seems like Willies was a good kid. I've never heard anything differently. However, I will say the rumors that have been shared in this thread don't surprise me. It makes sense. Willies has a bunch of talent. He was likely being kept off the field for a reason, and if his attitude was the problem it makes sense. If that is the case then I don't blame KF for handling it the way he did. When you let a kid with a bunch of talent and a bad attitude play in front of guys who are doing things the right way it can cause other problems as well. Look what happened with Rodney Coe and David Irving. They were a cancer to their team, and the fact Rhoads let them get away with it unpunished for so long clearly caused some frustration inside the locker room.

You're probably right most of the time but I only have 2 words... dog house.

 

[Eda]

I typically will take KirFer for his word to; but I can definitely understand the speculation. DW transfers in the middle of the season, cites playing time/role in the offense as a factor, and has been rumored to been upset since week 3. I could definitely see the "cancerous" rumorbeing true. However, KirFer said he's a good kid. For now, we'll have to take him for his word.

 

[HawkWT]

Dolph is going to say whatever the University tells him to.

 

[Hawk4Fan]

Typical fans trying to make up crap about a kid to try to make him out to be the bad person instead of their love KF, nothing new to see here people.

 

[jo12208]

Correct if I am wrong but I thought KF had said on the Wednesday night deal that he had spoken to Willies and that 'door had been closed'. Was Dolph not present and heard that because I thought he was? I was also shocked then when Dolph said that on the post game. Unless something has changed? That would be a huge get.

Speaking of Dolph... I am so sick and tired of his shtick. How can we not get rid of him and bring someone else in who is more credible, competent and entertaining? I just about threw up when he used his go to line with 'old buddy boy'. Seriously is he broadcasting for the nursing homes across Iowa? I would much rather hear from Brett Balbinot (however you spell it) who you hear on the women's bball games. That guy at least can connect with an audience and has some spunk.

I totally agree with you. I live outside the US and couldn't find a online video of the game. I had to listen to the radio on line. Very little down and distance, missing calls on plays, etc. He is just horrible. Just report the plays.

 

[PCHawk]

I totally agree with you. I live outside the US and couldn't find a online video of the game. I had to listen to the radio on line. Very little down and distance, missing calls on plays, etc. He is just horrible. Just report the plays.

Try listening to a basketball game some time. Half the time he won't even say if a free throw is made or missed.

 

[RocknRollface]

I totally agree with you. I live outside the US and couldn't find a online video of the game. I had to listen to the radio on line. Very little down and distance, missing calls on plays, etc. He is just horrible. Just report the plays.

Yeah, Dolph means well but just isn't very good. It's really hard to understand what's going on when you listen to him.