Northwestern AD Derrick Gragg lauds football team's 'resilience' in wake of hazing scandal

As Northwestern begins its football season in the wake of a hazing scandal that came to light over the summer, the program's athletic director lauded the team's coaches and players for their "collective resilience."

In an interview with ESPN, Derrick Gragg said Northwestern football has "done everything we've asked them to do" since details of the scandal emerged, leading to the eventual firing of former coach Pat Fitzgerald July 10.

Interim coach David Braun is leading the Wildcats Sunday in their opener against Rutgers, and Gragg spoke positively of the job Braun has done in "keeping the team together" since details of scandal were revealed in mid-July.

"They were committed to that from the start when we first convened a meeting with them back in July, and they've stayed true to that," Gragg said. "They put in a great deal of work, not just obviously during camp, but for the last few months. I've been personally to many practices. I've watched them. The group seems spirited, they seem engaged, and I think they're very well prepared and they're well-organized. They're ready to go."

Gragg told ESPN that the program brought in a consulting firm called Protection For All to run in-person, anti-hazing training for the football team Aug. 3. The training addressed physical and emotional harassment, discrimination, retaliation, bullying and sexual misconduct and the football team also met with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice.

"It was an intensive three-hour-session and (the consultants) said after about the first 10, 15 minutes, guys were relaxed, participating, understanding what they were supposed to do, and did everything that they were asked to do," Gragg told ESPN. "I think everybody understands the importance of conducting themselves in a first-class manner, as it relates to being representatives of themselves, and their families and to this university.

"I think they took it very seriously."

What's next for Northwestern?

Gragg told ESPN that he does not expect for there to be more personnel changes in the football program, though the university would look into any potential claims that may surface in the future. Gragg added that the search for a permanent replacement for Fitzgerald will begin later in the fall.

"We're just asking everybody, continue to support us, support the student-athletes," he said. "We're moving forward, we're excited about this year, and we have a great deal of inner support. I'm excited about being the leader here."

Northwestern was trailing Rutgers midway through the third quarter, 24-0.

How did the Northwestern hazing scandal become public?

In November, a former Northwestern football player contacted the school’s administration and alleged hazing within the football program. The school hired the law firm of ArentFox Schiff to conduct an investigation, led by Maggie Hickey, a former inspector general of Illinois.

On July 7, the school announced Fitzgerald would serve a two-week suspension and released an executive summary from the investigation. In part, it stated "the complainant’s claims were largely supported by the evidence gathered during the investigation," and the hazing was widespread.

"The investigation did not discover sufficient evidence to believe that coaching staff knew about the ongoing hazing conduct," the executive summary stated. "They determined, however, that there had been significant opportunities to discover and report the hazing conduct."

The following day, The Daily Northwestern – the school newspaper – published a story about a former Northwestern player who said the hazing involved coerced sexual acts. The allegations included that a group of eight to 10 upperclassmen "dressed in various 'Purge-like' masks, who would then begin 'dry-humping' the victim in a dark locker room," according to the report.

A second player confirmed the details, according to the Daily.

That same day, after the article was published, Northwestern president Michael Schill said he was reconsidering the discipline for Fitzgerald. Two days later, Fitzgerald was fired. Alleged misconduct on the baseball and volleyball teams has also surfaced.

What was the response to the Northwestern hazing scandal?

A number of former Northwestern football players have filed several lawsuits against the university, alleging a "toxic culture" of ritualized abuse. There have been at least 10 former football players that have sued the school.

Northwestern hired veteran college football coach and two-time USFL champion Skip Holtz to serve as a temporary special assistant. The university also hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to investigate the culture in the athletic department.

A month after the hazing scandal became public, several Northwestern football staffers wore shirts that said "Cats Against the World" on them, as well as former coach Pat Fitzgerald's old jersey No. 51 on them. Gragg said later in a statement that the shirts were "inappropriate, offensive and tone deaf."

Contributing: Josh Peter