Northwestern players to skip Huge 10 media days

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterJul 25, 2023, 05:28 PM ET

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• College football press reporter.
• Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
• Graduate of Northwestern University.INDIANAPOLIS– Northwestern football players Bryce Gallagher, Rod Heard II and Bryce Kirtz will not participate in Huge Ten media days Wednesday because of the increased attention on the program’s hazing scandal.In a joint declaration, the 3 Wildcats juniors said they chose not to take part after talking with their families, colleagues and interim coach David Braun, who will participate in Wednesday as the two days of events get underway. Northwestern players have not talked to the media since the July 10 shooting of coach Pat Fitzgerald. University leaders have actually not held any press conference, although President Michael Schill spoke Monday to The Daily Northwestern, the trainee paper. “This was really challenging since we were thrilled about the chance to take part in this huge Ten tradition, and to speak about the game we enjoy and the season

  ahead,”Gallagher, Heard and Kirtz said in their statement Tuesday.”But provided the recent events involving the Northwestern football program, we did not desire our participation to be controlled by the hazing concern and take the focus away from football and the upcoming season. We are proud members of the NU football program and want our on-field efficiency and off-field conduct to constantly reflect the worths of the university and our fans. “Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Braun stated he supports the players ‘choice to not attend.”The decision from our players to give up Big 10 Media Day was entirely theirs, and they approached

  it with a great deal

  of maturity and

  consideration,”Braun said in a declaration.”I’m totally supportive

  of both their thinking and the decision itself, and I look forward to participating in the occasion.”Northwestern is dealing with four claims from previous football players declaring prevalent hazing and violent habits in the program. Fitzgerald is the only coach or staff member who has been fired. The school is checking out allegations from a suit Monday that longtime assistant Matt MacPherson understood hazing incidents.Former Northwestern player Lloyd Yates, who took legal action against the university Monday, said he didn’t determine players who led hazing occurrences because he considers them “victims”of the program’s culture. None of the lawsuits filed has named current or former players. Northwestern has actually not penalized any current assistant, employee or player, but the school has stated it will investigate claims as it becomes aware of them.On July 8, a statement credited to the whole Northwestern team stated that hazing is not endured in the program and described allegations from a previous player as” exaggerated and twisted.”The declaration safeguarded Fitzgerald, saying he had no knowledge of the accusations up until the school started a hazing examination in December.Northwestern is set to start preseason practices in August and

  play its first game Sept. 3 at Rutgers.