Amid ‘distractions,’ Jay Higgins’ toughness reminds Kirk Ferentz of past NFL-bound players

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Kirk Ferentz was reminded a bit of his NFL days after Iowa football’s 29-13 win over Maryland — and after “a lot of distractions” this month, as he described them earlier in the week.

“It’s been a long time since I was in the NFL, but when guys hold out in the NFL, you coach the guys that are there,” Ferentz said after Saturday’s win. “Simple as that.”

Perhaps one of the more impressive players that Ferentz coached was linebacker Jay Higgins. He recorded a team-high eight tackles and grabbed his fourth interception of the season.

Higgins — a first-team All-American last season with a potential professional football career ahead of him — made significant contributions despite having to exit Iowa’s game two weeks earlier with an injury.

“You better knock him down and keep him down if you’re going to keep him off the field,” Ferentz said.

Higgins, asked how he was feeling, said he was “good enough to play.”

“Any time I get a chance to go out there and compete, I’m going to do it,” Higgins said.

Ferentz recalled how former Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta “got scoped” two years ago on Nov. 22 — just over a month before Iowa’s bowl game that year.

“And you couldn’t keep him out of the Music City Bowl — a meaningless bowl, right, by the experts,” Ferentz said. “You couldn’t keep that guy out of there. You think it’s a coincidence he got drafted by the Lions and went to a Pro Bowl his first year?”

Another future NFL early-round pick came to mind from that 2022 team as well.

“Jack Campbell, are you s------ me?” Ferentz said. “Him missing a game?”

While that decision worked out for Higgins, the playing-through-injury calculus is not the same for every player, particularly for those who may have NFL futures next year.

“I will never forget a quote from Bum Phillips where he always used to say it’s easy to be tough with other people’s bodies,” Ferentz said.

Ferentz said he found out this week that defensive back Jermari Harris “didn't think he could go” against Maryland. That essentially axed one of the “three components” necessary for an athlete to play.

“You’ve got the medical staff says he’s cleared, the player says he’s good to go and then the coach has to say, ‘Yeah I think he can function out there,’” Ferentz said. “All three have to be aligned.”

247 Sports first reported Harris’ intention to opt out of the rest of the season. A team spokesman has, however — in a statement intended to address “significant media interest and misinformation” — said that Harris’ absence is because of a “medical issue.”

“He’s been through a lot medically,” Ferentz said of Harris on Saturday.

Ferentz said “we’ll see” when asked whether he anticipates Harris being an option for Iowa’s last regular-season game on Friday against Nebraska.

The other significant absence was quarterback Cade McNamara, who has not played since his Oct. 26 concussion against Northwestern.

McNamara put out a statement on Friday saying he is “doing everything in my power” to return and remains a “proud member of this football team.”

“I was cleared to participate in practice this past Sunday, but had an adverse reaction, which is common for someone coming out of (concussion) protocol,” McNamara said in the statement.

Ferentz, when asked about McNamara’s situation, urged fans to “have some compassion for the people that are out competing.”

“You think about the last three years for this guy, he has had a rough go,” Ferentz said.

With McNamara and Brendan Sullivan both out, the Hawkeyes turned to walk-on Jackson Stratton. (He went 10-of-14 for 76 yards in his first career start.)

Asked whether he thinks Stratton will be Iowa’s starter again next week against Nebraska, Ferentz said he “would assume so.”

“He’s the leader of the group right now,” Ferentz said.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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