Northwestern Alum Corey Wootton Had A Lot To Say About Hazing Scandal

Northwestern has long been upheld as one of the most respected football programs in the country when it comes to producing upstanding athletes. Much of that was due to the leadership of former head coach Pat Fitzgerald who took over the program in 2006. Since then, they'd enjoyed a stellar reputation on and off the field. That came crashing down in a matter of weeks when several anonymous players spoke to the college newspaper about out-of-control hazing within the locker room that included being restrained by teammates and dry-humped in total darkness. As details kept emerging, the program was forced to act by firing Fitzgerald. For Corey Wootton, this was something he couldn't believe.

The former Chicago Bears defensive end attended Northwestern in college. He was there during Fitzgerald's early years and credits the coach with helping him become an eventual 4th round pick. What makes this scandal so stunning for him is there were never any such encounters during his time in the locker room. He told Mark Carman of Football Night In Chicago that his time there was some of the most enjoyable days of his life. While he admits hazing is often part of team culture in football, it never got anywhere close to that bad during his days in college and the NFL.

Corey Wootton isn't ignorant of reality.

Hazing may have been an accepted part of football for a long time. That doesn't make it right. Some may argue it's a right of passage and a way for new teammates to bond. In reality, it may serve as a distraction more than anything, especially if it spirals out of control as it did at Northwestern. When the "rituals" drive certain players to suicidal thoughts, it's a bad thing. Perhaps this explains why the program took a serious downturn over the past two years, winning only four games.

In hindsight, it might've been a sign that Fitzgerald had completely lost respect in the locker room by allegedly encouraging these practices. Based on quotes from the Daily Northwestern articles, several players still hate him for letting it happen. All Corey Wootton can do is wonder where it went wrong. His time with the program saw nothing remotely close to that happening, which means the hazing didn't manifest until years later. No doubt Fitzgerald will be left contemplating all of this since his coaching career might well be over.