'What we do here is very competitive'

IOWA CITY -- Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz spent last Tuesday in his University of Iowa office trying to contact parents of the 13 players admitted for rhabdomyolysis.

He contacted nine and left voice mails for four.

Wendesday, he left Iowa City for a recruiting trip, but stayed in contact with UI medical staff. He returned to Iowa City that night and met with parents, some of whom were angry.

"Perhaps my appearance that day could've provided a calming influence," Ferentz said Wendnesday, national signing day and Ferentz's first public words on his players' hospitalization. "I may have underestimated that."

Asked if he would've done anything differently in the wake of the rhabdomyolysis outbreak, Ferentz said he would've met with parents during the day and not waited until returning to Iowa City on Wednesday night. Rhabdomyolyis (or "rhabdo") releases muscle fibers into the bloodstream and can cause kidney damage.

"That's a decision I made and I said that's bad judgment on my part," Ferentz said. "It's a call that I made. And it's kind of like going for it on fourth down or not. Sometimes you're right and sometimes you're wrong."

Ferentz's absence on Wednesday was at the crux of much of the national criticism that went Ferentz and the UI's way in the last week. The UI athletics department has taken a hit over lack of a public statement and a news conference last week that didn't include Ferentz or athletics director Gary Barta.

Barta, who wasn't in Iowa City late last week, said he has given the UI's communication in the matter some thought and will give it more later. Mostly, his focus was on the athletes.

"Early on, we didn't have much to say, because we didn't really know much," Barta said. "I'm used to criticism. Did I open myself up to it?

"Again, if trying to make sure that they're medical condition was in good care, trying to make sure they had what they needed, working with Kirk to make sure that we were communicating with the families, if I'm criticized for that instead of standing before the media at that time, I guess I'll have to take it."

By Sunday, all 13 players were released from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. UI president Sally Mason and the Iowa Board of Regents announced an investigation for a root cause has started with a 90-day timeframe.

Six players have been identified -- Jordan Bernstine, Jim Poggi, Shane DiBona, Tom Donatell, Willie Lowe and ESPN.com said Shaun Prater also was hospitalized. Ferentz declined to name the other players involved, citing HIPAA privacy laws.

Still, there is no definitive answer why 13 players ended up in the hospital following a workout, which included 100 squats in a timed period and sled pushes.

This was the fourth time this workout had been used by Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle, who's been Iowa's strength coach for all of Ferentz's 13 years at Iowa. The workout was first used in December 2000. Ferentz said when it was used in June 2004, players had to squat their body weight. He called that a much tougher workout.

Ferentz said the workouts won't be repeated, but that the football team has kept on a schedule of rigorous workouts.

ESPN.com quoted one of the players' parents late last week that a strength coach said, "we'll find out who wants to be here."

Ferentz stood behind that statement and Doyle, whom he called "one of the most sought-after I've been around on a lot of levels." Doyle designed the drill. All five Iowa strength coaches were on hand to conduct and monitor.

"I would stand by those words; and I've used those words in the past and I'll use them in the future," Ferentz said. "And, quite frankly, every day I come to work, that's something I give consideration to.

"What we do here is very competitive and it requires a an awful lot of hard work. I can share this with you: I don't want to work with people who aren't that committed and I don't want to coach players who aren't committed, because that's really what it takes to compete successfully in this endeavor.

"I don't have any problem with those words and I will say this: Our workouts are challenging by design and also safe by design and supervised."

Ferentz said he didn't anticipate any of the 13 players leaving the program because of this incident, but couldn't definitively answer that. Through some social media outlets, players' family members have expressed frustration over the situation.

Medical staff is monitoring the players and when they might be able to resume workouts. Ferentz wouldn't put a timetable on returns.

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Ferentz was asked what he'd do differently.