3-2-1: The courage of Sean Welsh
Tom Kakert | Editor
Sean Welsh showed incredible courage this week disclosing his battle with depression.
THREE THINGS WE LEARNED
SEAN WELSH MAKES AN IMPACT OFF THE FIELD
Let’s face it, football is all about being tough. In the trenches, it’s the ultimate test of physical and mental toughness. That’s what made what Sean Welsh revealed on Wednesday afternoon so amazing. The senior offensive lineman spoke from the heart about his battle with depression.
There’s a stigma attached to depression. Many think you are weak or to use a football term, soft. The truth is it’s a mental illness. Like any illness if you treat it properly with medication and therapy, you can manage it and live a happy and productive life. The hardest step for anyone, as Welsh said, is seeking the help you need, admitting you have a problem, and then seeking the counseling that is necessary.
What Welsh did on Wednesday may be more important than any block he has made or will make for the Iowa football team. It took tremendous courage to put himself in front of the media and talk with great honesty about his on-going battle with depression. He’s a potential All American this season and now his admission will make an impact off the field. There are many others facing the same struggles at Welsh on a daily basis. Many who until Wednesday were too fearful to take the necessary step of admitting you have a problem and getting help. Now they may feel comfortable enough to step forward like Welsh did, seek treatment, and go on to live a happier life.
KIRK FERENTZ DOESN’T LIKE THE NEW PRACTICE SCHEDULE AND BIG TEN MEDIA DAYS
Every once in a while Kirk Ferentz goes on a rant and on Wednesday he had a pair towards the end of his meeting with the media that was classics.
He had already ranted earlier this year on the NCAA doing away with two a day practices and he went back to it again after he was asked about what day they start fall camp. For the second time in his tenure, Iowa will start practice in July and he’s not happy about it. Without a couple of two a day practices, players (and coaches) get less time away and have to start practice the last week of July instead of the first couple of days of August. Camp is already a grind where you are stuck in a hotel for weeks and now you can basically add another week to that confinement.
I think we already suspected that Ferentz wasn’t a huge fan of Big Ten football media day in Chicago and he confirmed it on Wednesday. The whole thing is really kind of a dog and pony show and Ferentz would rather just focus on coaching his football team instead of going through the interviews and shooting TV promos sitting in a birds nest. It was pretty funny when Ferentz said that one of his favorite days of the year is on Tuesday when he can drive out of Chicago. It’s not that he dislikes the Windy City, but he simply doesn’t like the whole event. See you Monday, Kirk, and by the way, many in the media privately feel the same way.
IOWA GETTING INTO THE GRAD TRANSFER MARKET
Remember when Iowa fans would poke fun at ISU basketball for living in the graduate transfer market every year. Well, that moral high ground is slowly fading away. Last year, the Iowa football team dabbled in the grad transfer market and picked up Ron Coluzzi. It proved to be a great pickup as Coluzzi won the punting job in fall camp and did a really nice job all season long. In addition, he became a favorite of the Iowa beat writers because he was a really entertaining quote. Fast forward to this summer where the Hawkeyes are again in the graduate transfer market. On July 4th they picked up Nevada running back James Butler. This was a great insurance pickup for Iowa and frankly, any time you can add a talented player who has gained over 3,000 years in his career, you do it without question. The Hawkeyes are desperate for help at wide receiver and as we reported earlier on Thursday, it looks like they will be adding Matt Quarells, a receiver from New Mexico who was a prep standout in the St. Louis area. Butler should have an impact as a 1A option behind Akrum Wadley. It’s hard to project with Quarells since he only had 11 receptions last season, but he’s worth a gamble at a position of need.
Isaiah Moss has had a strong summer.
TWO QUESTIONS
WHAT DO WE MAKE OF THE STAFF MOVES?
There were a pair of staffing moves that Kirk Ferentz announced on Wednesday afternoon and one was kind of surprising, while the other really shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The surprise move was the hiring of Kevin Spencer as a Quality Control assistant for Special Teams. Spencer has long time ties to Ferentz that go back to their time with the Cleveland Browns. The way that Ferentz spoke about his hiring, it seems like he was just too good of a coach to pass on.
The not so surprising move was the elevating of assistant coach Seth Wallace to associate defensive coordinator. Ferentz was quick to point out that this isn’t some sort of grand plan and he certainly wasn’t trying to force out Phil Parker. The second part of that is certainly true. Phil Parker is going to be Iowa’s defensive coordinator for as long as he wants the job. However, I think we have seen this year a picture of what might be the future of Iowa’s coaching staff in the post Kirk Ferentz era. If all goes well with the Iowa program and Brian Ferentz as the offensive coordinator, I think he’s in position to be the next head coach. I think we are also seeing that Wallace would be the next defensive coordinator, which I’ve suspected for a while. Wallace is certainly a rising star in the coaching ranks and perhaps this title, which in the past Ferentz has balked at using, was a defensive move to keep him from being hired by other schools. Now, the next question is if (and it’s certainly a big if) Brian Ferentz becomes the next head coach, who is the offensive coordinator? I’d probably keep an eye on new offensive line coach Tim Polasek.
WHO IS THE RETURNING PLAYER THAT MAKE THE BIGGEST STRIDES IN THE PTL?
During the Prime Time League we tend to spend a lot of time, probably too much time, focusing on what the incoming freshmen are doing. It’s really perfectly natural for fans and beat writers to do it because we have something new to look at and evaluate. Both Jack Nunge and Luka Garza have been terrific this summer and as I’ve written in the past, I think both are in the rotation this winter.
Which returning player has made the biggest strides this summer? Well, we will get more evidence during the upcoming foreign trip to Germany and France, but I think the most impressive player in terms of growth has been Isaiah Moss. With the departure of Peter Jok, the Hawkeyes need a wing scorer to emerge and Moss has elevated his game this summer. Last year there were games where he showed flashes for a half and other times, while being in the starting lineup, he would disappear. I think he’s poised for what many will see as a breakout season this winter.
ONE BOLD PREDICTION
We all suspect that someone from the incoming group of wide receivers will emerge and get a good amount of work this season. The numbers simply suggest it’s going to happen. While I still think Brandon Smith is probably the most likely the name given his physical skill set, I’d keep an eye on Max Cooper. He’s turned a few heads in 7 on 7 workouts this summer as a possible Matt VandeBerg type receiver. As fall camp gets going late next week, keep an eye on Cooper.
Tom Kakert | Editor
Sean Welsh showed incredible courage this week disclosing his battle with depression.
THREE THINGS WE LEARNED
SEAN WELSH MAKES AN IMPACT OFF THE FIELD
Let’s face it, football is all about being tough. In the trenches, it’s the ultimate test of physical and mental toughness. That’s what made what Sean Welsh revealed on Wednesday afternoon so amazing. The senior offensive lineman spoke from the heart about his battle with depression.
There’s a stigma attached to depression. Many think you are weak or to use a football term, soft. The truth is it’s a mental illness. Like any illness if you treat it properly with medication and therapy, you can manage it and live a happy and productive life. The hardest step for anyone, as Welsh said, is seeking the help you need, admitting you have a problem, and then seeking the counseling that is necessary.
What Welsh did on Wednesday may be more important than any block he has made or will make for the Iowa football team. It took tremendous courage to put himself in front of the media and talk with great honesty about his on-going battle with depression. He’s a potential All American this season and now his admission will make an impact off the field. There are many others facing the same struggles at Welsh on a daily basis. Many who until Wednesday were too fearful to take the necessary step of admitting you have a problem and getting help. Now they may feel comfortable enough to step forward like Welsh did, seek treatment, and go on to live a happier life.
KIRK FERENTZ DOESN’T LIKE THE NEW PRACTICE SCHEDULE AND BIG TEN MEDIA DAYS
Every once in a while Kirk Ferentz goes on a rant and on Wednesday he had a pair towards the end of his meeting with the media that was classics.
He had already ranted earlier this year on the NCAA doing away with two a day practices and he went back to it again after he was asked about what day they start fall camp. For the second time in his tenure, Iowa will start practice in July and he’s not happy about it. Without a couple of two a day practices, players (and coaches) get less time away and have to start practice the last week of July instead of the first couple of days of August. Camp is already a grind where you are stuck in a hotel for weeks and now you can basically add another week to that confinement.
I think we already suspected that Ferentz wasn’t a huge fan of Big Ten football media day in Chicago and he confirmed it on Wednesday. The whole thing is really kind of a dog and pony show and Ferentz would rather just focus on coaching his football team instead of going through the interviews and shooting TV promos sitting in a birds nest. It was pretty funny when Ferentz said that one of his favorite days of the year is on Tuesday when he can drive out of Chicago. It’s not that he dislikes the Windy City, but he simply doesn’t like the whole event. See you Monday, Kirk, and by the way, many in the media privately feel the same way.
IOWA GETTING INTO THE GRAD TRANSFER MARKET
Remember when Iowa fans would poke fun at ISU basketball for living in the graduate transfer market every year. Well, that moral high ground is slowly fading away. Last year, the Iowa football team dabbled in the grad transfer market and picked up Ron Coluzzi. It proved to be a great pickup as Coluzzi won the punting job in fall camp and did a really nice job all season long. In addition, he became a favorite of the Iowa beat writers because he was a really entertaining quote. Fast forward to this summer where the Hawkeyes are again in the graduate transfer market. On July 4th they picked up Nevada running back James Butler. This was a great insurance pickup for Iowa and frankly, any time you can add a talented player who has gained over 3,000 years in his career, you do it without question. The Hawkeyes are desperate for help at wide receiver and as we reported earlier on Thursday, it looks like they will be adding Matt Quarells, a receiver from New Mexico who was a prep standout in the St. Louis area. Butler should have an impact as a 1A option behind Akrum Wadley. It’s hard to project with Quarells since he only had 11 receptions last season, but he’s worth a gamble at a position of need.
Isaiah Moss has had a strong summer.
TWO QUESTIONS
WHAT DO WE MAKE OF THE STAFF MOVES?
There were a pair of staffing moves that Kirk Ferentz announced on Wednesday afternoon and one was kind of surprising, while the other really shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The surprise move was the hiring of Kevin Spencer as a Quality Control assistant for Special Teams. Spencer has long time ties to Ferentz that go back to their time with the Cleveland Browns. The way that Ferentz spoke about his hiring, it seems like he was just too good of a coach to pass on.
The not so surprising move was the elevating of assistant coach Seth Wallace to associate defensive coordinator. Ferentz was quick to point out that this isn’t some sort of grand plan and he certainly wasn’t trying to force out Phil Parker. The second part of that is certainly true. Phil Parker is going to be Iowa’s defensive coordinator for as long as he wants the job. However, I think we have seen this year a picture of what might be the future of Iowa’s coaching staff in the post Kirk Ferentz era. If all goes well with the Iowa program and Brian Ferentz as the offensive coordinator, I think he’s in position to be the next head coach. I think we are also seeing that Wallace would be the next defensive coordinator, which I’ve suspected for a while. Wallace is certainly a rising star in the coaching ranks and perhaps this title, which in the past Ferentz has balked at using, was a defensive move to keep him from being hired by other schools. Now, the next question is if (and it’s certainly a big if) Brian Ferentz becomes the next head coach, who is the offensive coordinator? I’d probably keep an eye on new offensive line coach Tim Polasek.
WHO IS THE RETURNING PLAYER THAT MAKE THE BIGGEST STRIDES IN THE PTL?
During the Prime Time League we tend to spend a lot of time, probably too much time, focusing on what the incoming freshmen are doing. It’s really perfectly natural for fans and beat writers to do it because we have something new to look at and evaluate. Both Jack Nunge and Luka Garza have been terrific this summer and as I’ve written in the past, I think both are in the rotation this winter.
Which returning player has made the biggest strides this summer? Well, we will get more evidence during the upcoming foreign trip to Germany and France, but I think the most impressive player in terms of growth has been Isaiah Moss. With the departure of Peter Jok, the Hawkeyes need a wing scorer to emerge and Moss has elevated his game this summer. Last year there were games where he showed flashes for a half and other times, while being in the starting lineup, he would disappear. I think he’s poised for what many will see as a breakout season this winter.
ONE BOLD PREDICTION
We all suspect that someone from the incoming group of wide receivers will emerge and get a good amount of work this season. The numbers simply suggest it’s going to happen. While I still think Brandon Smith is probably the most likely the name given his physical skill set, I’d keep an eye on Max Cooper. He’s turned a few heads in 7 on 7 workouts this summer as a possible Matt VandeBerg type receiver. As fall camp gets going late next week, keep an eye on Cooper.
