Three former Northwestern football players claim the program had a "culture of enabling racism" in statements to the The Daily Northwestern. The three players, all of whom played in the late 2000s, also confirmed some of the initial claims about hazing and coercion detailed in previous reporting.
Latino offensive lineman Ramon Diaz Jr. is the first former Northwestern player to go public with his allegations. Diaz, who now works as a clinical therapist, claims players and coaches routinely made race-based comments about his Hispanic heritage. He was allegedly forced shave "Cinco de Mayo" into his hair during a freshman tradition. In one specific incident, a former offensive line coach allegedly asked Diaz how to clean a dirty room, joking that Diaz's family must be experts on cleaning houses.
Diaz was later diagnosed with PTSD after experiencing flashbacks of his time in the locker room.
"The fact that I'm still going to a therapist and talking about these things after more than 10 years is indicative of the mental health state I was left in," Diaz told the The Daily Northwestern. "I didn't even watch a football game again for almost five years after I left Northwestern. It was that negative of an experience for me that I didn't want anything to do with the sport."
Two other former Northwestern players, speaking under the condition of anonymity, detailed their experiences with alleged racist treatment during their tenures. Black players were allegedly pushed to cut their hair and one not to wear certain apparel because he "wasn't in the hood anymore." Black assistant coaches were also allegedly asked to cut their hair, calling it the "Wildcat Way." White players, meanwhile, were routinely allowed to keep longer haircuts.
"There was a certain culture of enabling racism and other microaggressions that I had to experience and that other offensive linemen that were people of color had to experience," one anonymous former offensive lineman said.
The allegations come amid a Northwestern investigation into hazing under longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired by the university Monday night. The hazing allegedly included sexually abusive acts. Northwestern initially suspended Fitzgerald without pay for two weeks, but school president Michael Schill reevaluated his punishment for the coach.
