Iowa Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz announced over the holiday weekend that fullback Brad Rogers, a redshirt freshman, will miss Iowa’s remaining practices and the Dec. 28 Insight Bowl vs. Missouri, due to cardiology testing.
Rogers (5-10, 215), a native of Toledo, Ohio (Central Catholic HS), is listed as Iowa’s second team fullback. He played in 11 games this season, rushing for 75 yards on 11 carries and catching two passes for 15 yards.
The Iowa Hawkeyes will already be without starting tailback Adam Robinson (suspension) and second-team tailback Jewel Hampton (injury, and now transfer). So their running backs corps is already depleted.
Of course, given what’s gone on in the program lately, this news seems more interesting than the 40 word PR snippet released on Christmas Eve that it actually is.
In the wake of the drug scandal originating with Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, the team’s all time leading receiver, and then the cryptic, anti-climactic press conference that followed, any instance of an Iowa player missing more playing time is going to inspire media to do a double take.
And it seems even more interesting given the unique reason given. Rogers must have a very serious heart condition, and probably be dealing with a very serious health condition if the cardiological tests he’s undergoing are more important than attending a bowl game.
But if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything, so I commend him on knowing his priorities.