Two former Northwestern football captains Friday discussed their experiences of racial discrimination in the program and of being forced as young Black men to conform to the ‘‘Wildcat Way,’’ which they say was ‘‘coded white culture.’’
‘‘Northwestern not only treated players of color differently than our white teammates, but they tried to conform us in our appearance to resemble our white teammates, or what Northwestern would consider the ‘Wildcat Way,’ ’’ former Northwestern football player and NFL running back Noah Herron said at a news conference.
‘‘Northwestern recruited me as a football player but refused to see me and accept me as a man, a Black man who was — and is — proud of my race and culture.”
Herron was joined at the news conference by former teammate Rico Lamitte, who said he and fellow players of color were ‘“teased, humiliated, threatened, hazed and abused” for refusing to conform to the ‘‘Wildcat Way.’’
While white players were allowed to have long hair, Herron and Lamitte said, Black players with longer braids or dreadlocks were told they had to cut their hair.
‘‘Coaches, trainers and staff told us that we needed to change the way we dressed, acted and styled our hair,’’ Lamitte said. ‘‘As a freshman, I was told I’d never see any playing time unless I cut my hair, and if I did not cut it myself, coaches would instruct upperclassmen to hold me down and shave it.’’
Herron said he and fellow Black players were threatened with a loss of playing time, starting positions, scholarships and the ability to transfer.
After the Wildcats’ appearance in the 2005 Sun Bowl, he recalled two Black players were singled out and physically punished in such a severe manner it was known on the team as the ‘‘Christmas massacre.’’
‘‘The head coach told two white position coaches that if these two Black players were able to walk off the field after their punishment that they themselves would be fired,’’ Herron said.
Lamitte said players also were forced to participate in ‘‘insensitive, racially undertoned activities,’’ such as watermelon-eating contests, and recounted a time when a coach used a racial slur when referring to the team’s Asian-American kicker.
News of the hazing scandal in Northwestern’s football program broke in early July, and head coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired about 10 days later.
Northwestern now faces dozens of lawsuits from players across multiple sports, with allegations including sexual and racial abuse. The law firm of Salvi, Schostok and Pritchard represents seven former athletes, mostly football players.
The school has hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to lead an investigation into the culture of its athletic department and its anti-hazing procedures.
Fitzgerald also has sued the university, claiming he was ‘‘wrongfully and illegally terminated’’ by the school ‘‘without any legitimate or rational reason whatsoever.’’
Fitzgerald is seeking the $68 million that remained on his contract and an additional $62 million in lost future income.
Neither Herron, who played for Northwestern in 2000-04, nor Lamitte, who played in 2001-05, has sued the university.
Lawyers acknowledged that statutes of limitations might be issues with reports from the 1990s or early 2000s, but they didn’t rule out Herron or Lamitte filing suit.
‘‘Northwestern created, enabled and tolerated a toxic culture of sexualized hazing and racial discrimination,’’ Lamitte said. ‘‘Northwestern’s culture must be exposed, they must be held accountable and the culture must change.’’
The law firm organized the news conference ahead of the Iowa-Northwestern football game Saturday at Wrigley Field.
‘‘These individuals gave blood, sweat and tears for that university, for their program,’’ attorney Parker Stinar said. ‘‘They produced tremendous revenues for the university, and we demand that the story is not silenced by football season.’’
