Name on jersey won’t win a thing for James Ferentz

IOWA CITY - This is the second time he's coached one of his boss' sons.

Iowa offensive line coach Reese Morgan chuckled before the question was half finished.

“Regardless of what the last name is ...” he said.

Then, Morgan gave the positives of coaching Kirk Ferentz's sons. Tough, leader, confident. It can go the other way with the name on the back of the jersey, but Morgan kept listing the positives.

Extremely tough, aggressive, excellent football players.

Brian Ferentz paved the way. He was a three-year starter at center/guard for the Hawkeyes with a timeout after a staph infection nearly cost him a leg in 2004. He's now an offensive assistant for the New England Patriots.

“Brian Ferentz was a tremendous football player and probably the best leader we've ever had here, that I've ever had as a lineman,” Morgan said. “Tremendous leader, knowledgeable guy. He overcame so much adversity.”

The name on the back is the same, but there are a few differences.

“I'm not going to compare the guys,” Morgan said.

OK, he listed one contrast.

“James' leadership quality is with the guys,” Morgan said. “Around the adults, he's a little more subdued and Brian was a little more demonstrative.”

As a third-year sophomore, James Ferentz is in a tight battle with senior Josh Koeppel for the center position. Judging off last week's open scrimmage, nothing has been decided.

“The competition with Josh is great,” said James Ferentz, who started camp weighing in at 280. “I think it's really healthy for us as a line. The fact that we're still in a competition, I think that speaks volumes. It keeps us coming out everyday ensuring that we're going to give our best effort.”

Koeppel said, sure, there's pressure to be perfect, but that pressure isn't coming from Morgan or Kirk Ferentz.

“James and I are putting the pressure on each other,” Koeppel said. “We both make mistakes. You've just got to flush each rep. If it's good, you have to flush it and go to the next one. If it's bad, you've got to flush it and go to the next one.”

Instead of comparing and contrasting, James talked about how Brian has helped. With Brian's time commitments as a young coach, the communication isn't what James would like it to be, but when its there, he knows and respects the source.

“At times when I'm feeling bad and want to play the boo-hoo game, he's there to point me in the right direction and keep my focus where it needs to be,” said James, who, like Koeppel, is a former all-stater from Iowa City High. “I'm really fortunate to have him as a mentor in my life. He's been really supportive in helping me in the right direction.”

Again, not a comparison or a contrast, but when talking James, Morgan used the phrase “plays with an edge.”

James laughed a little bit at the “edge” comment. Asked how he'd define it, he said, “I just try to go out and play and give my best and not let my teammates down. We have a bunch of great players on this team and you can't be selfish out here.”

James Ferentz is still trying to break into the lineup. Exactly what advice does Brian offer?

“I guess what any coach would tell any center, snap and step. I wish it were that simple,” James said with a laugh. “He loves coaching. We've all said that when we first started seeing Brian around football. He belongs coaching. He's a great coach, great teacher. He just conveys things so well to us as football players.

“It's a gift and it's a great thing to see him finally use it.”

Right now, while he grinds away at camp before Iowa's season opener Sept. 4, James knows he can rely on the Ferentzes for guidance here and there.

He knows the “Ferentz” on the back of his jersey isn't going to win him anything.

“I just try to be another guy on the team,” he said. “I think everybody else on this team sees that and there's no favoritism or anything like that. I'm just like any other guy out here trying to prove myself.”