Iowa football takes precautions against professional agents

Iowa's athletic department takes precautionary methods when dealing with sports agents. Educational programs are in place in Iowa City to assist student athletes.

FILE PHOTO

By James Kramer
The Daily Iowan

IOWA CITY - The recent suspension of Michigan safety Marcus Ray has served as a reminder for Iowa football players of the risks of dealing with agents.

School officials have suspended Ray indefinitely while they conduct a probe into whether Ray made illegal contact with an agent. The preseason All-American will not play this Saturday when the Wolverines meet the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium.

Iowa coach Hayden Fry spoke at length yesterday about the measures he and his staff take to prepare players for potential dangers.

Agents, gambling and drug use are some of the problems Fry tries to avoid.

"We try to educate our players about every way they could foul up," Fry said. "We've been doing this since I've been here, and it's certainly eliminated a lot of problems."

Iowa has brought in FBI agents, a federal judge and National Football League representatives to inform student-athletes of various hazards.

Fry said the precautions have helped, but added that there is always a possibility for trouble.

"The gambling problem is the No. 1 priority for college coaches in all sports," Fry said.

Sometimes, Fry said, a seemingly harmless inquiry by a fellow student can lead to bigger problems for athletes.

This stems from the fact that bookmakers often have student "runners" on campuses to obtain information about the team.

Freshman quarterback Kyle McCann recalled one speaker that told how runners often receive inside information from unsuspecting players.

"You have to be careful about who you're talking to and realize that there's people out there looking to make some big bucks," McCann said.

Injuries and other personnel data are usually what runners are after. Unlike the NFL, college football does not require teams to issue a weekly injury report. That puts information about a team's health at a premium.

Senior Jared DeVries said his "secluded" lifestyle makes him less susceptible to gambling sources. There's not much time for "outside people to get involved in my life," he said.

But it's not always that simple. DeVries was asked, for example, how he would respond if a student inquired about the team's "attitude."

"That's a pretty good question," DeVries said. "I don't really think a whole lot about that. I think of everybody being a pretty trustworthy person, like myself."

DeVries is similar to Ray in that both are highly touted seniors. It's inevitable that they will be pursued by sports agents looking to capitalize on their future salaries.

Talking to an agent is one thing. Accepting money or gifts from one is what violates NCAA rules. Penn State's Curtis Enis was suspended for last season's Citrus Bowl after allegedly obtaining a suit from an agent.

DeVries said he is not concerned about becoming a casualty.

Ray "must have made a bad decision," DeVries said. "I'm committed to this team and to this season. I know what to do and what not to do."

After 37 years as a college coach, Fry certainly knows how to prevent potential problems. More stringent NCAA guidelines have also helped him.

"We probably have 20 or 25 rules now that we didn't have 15 years ago," Fry said. "And they're all good rules."

Fry and his coaching staff begin to bring home the message early in a player's career.

All Hawkeye players are required to live on-campus for two years, and they must have a 2.4 GPA to move off-campus.

In addition, Fry said an assistant coach is assigned to check on the players every night at Slater Hall.

"I don't know if (the problems) are worse," Fry said. "But we're much more knowledgeable than we used to be."

Notes: Fry said redshirt freshman Robbie Crockett could play this weekend, depending on the team's injuries.

Crockett, a tailback, was suspended by Iowa for the season's first four games for a sexual misconduct conviction.

Jeff McCracken, who started at linebacker in Iowa's season opener, has not been reporting to practice, Fry said. McCracken had shin splints last week and did not travel to Illinois.

Fry said the decision to use true freshman Aaron Kampman this year may have "hurt (McCracken's) feelings."

McCracken was scheduled to meet with Fry Tuesday afternoon.

Fry said there have been no decisions made concerning the eligibility statuses of Chris Knipper (academics) and Zeron Flemister (alcohol charge).

09-30-98