Over the past year, the Iowa football program has undergone a complicated examination of its relationships to many of its African American student athletes. Thanks to the efforts of former black players like James Daniels and Faith Ekakitie as well as the leadership of several African American players currently on the roster, the program has gone through a period of honest introspection about how it treats its black athletes and has experienced cultural changes that will hopefully make the team a healthier and more inclusive environment for years to come.
The black student athletes who spearheaded these important conversations and positive changes are only the latest in a long line of trailblazing African American leaders to come through the Iowa football program.