Lloyd Yates went from being a quarterback in the Big Ten to not even being able to watch football.
A former member of Northwestern’s football team, Yates, now 26, reflected on his experiences being hazed while on the show.
The incidents included acts of sexual misconduct and what the school called “forced participation, nudity, and sexualized acts of a demeaning nature.”
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Head coach Pat Fitzgerald of the Northwestern Wildcats before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
“I was conditioned to think that this is normal, and this is what happens in college football, this is what happens in these locker rooms. And I think Northwestern has a little bit of work to do to get things right and make sure that this culture doesn’t exist,” Yates said in a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune.
“They’d ambush us, you know, 10 different guys, and then they’d come hold you down. They’d put you in the doggy style position and proceed to dry-fuck you. Guys would take turns, and it’s very demeaning, dehumanizing, embarrassing.”
One of the acts that was initially denounced by a former player was an exchange of the ball between a quarterback and a center, simulating a snap, while both were naked. Yates, then a quarterback, said he was forced to participate.
“The ball hit me, just like you would see on Sunday, but I was in the locker room simulating the act, without clothes. So obviously that experience before I had to go out on the court and practice with my teammates, it was very uncomfortable… it’s just humiliating.”
Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-USA Today Sports)
The hazing forced Yates to not even be able to watch the sport, and let her fall in love with it. The assaults also left him with nightmares and anxiety.
An investigation into the matter initially resulted in a two-week suspension for head coach Pat Fitzgerald, but he has since been fired as the story garnered more attention and more allegations surfaced.
The investigation found no evidence that Fitzgerald knew about the hazing, but the former players insist he did. Since then, Fitzgerald has retained legal counsel.
Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during a Wisconsin Badgers game at Ryan Field on October 8, 2022, in Evanston, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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Yates entered the school as a backup quarterback and was moved to wide receiver in 2017, his second redshirt season. Despite playing in two games that year, he didn’t record any stats.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
