Hlas column: The Hawkeyes' sky hasn't fallen, just a few players

IOWA CITY - Not that it's a news flash, but the University of Iowa doesn't have a dirty football program.

A lot of us who follow the Hawkeyes got swept up in a lot of recent hysteria, and understandably so. When a prominent player is arrested for multiple drug charges that include the possession of cocaine and high-level prescription drugs, as Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was last week, it alarms people. It should.

Then came Monday's press release informing us running back Jewel Hampton was leaving the team and running back Adam Robinson would not be allowed with his team on its Insight Bowl trip. That only heightened concern about the Iowa program. Again, understandably.

Gary Barta and Kirk Ferentz stressed Tuesday that “all three players shouldn't be lumped together.” It might have slightly eased tension had that been noted in the release. Maybe.

Rumors crashed around the Hawkeye universe suggesting more players were about to be suspended, kicked off the team, perhaps even publicly caned. It was like when an earthquake strikes. There are aftershocks, and people get jittery and expect more.

But no more. Not Tuesday, anyhow. No more suspensions, no more dismissals. If any other Hawkeyes are in trouble, it's an internal matter. We were told everyone else remaining on Iowa's team will board a jet for Phoenix next Monday to begin in-desert preparation for the Dec. 28 game against Missouri.

And that was the primary news that came out of the news conference featuring Iowa head coach  Ferentz and athletics director Barta.

All the information they gave us about the drug-testing policies and practices Iowa's athletic department has had in place had already been well-documented. The Gazette's Scott Dochterman wrote just last week about the department's drug-testing program, noting every athlete in the department is tested at least once a year. It took Tuesday's event to make most of us pay attention, though.

But, as Barta noted Tuesday, “We did find pretty strong evidence there are a couple ways our student-athletes have and probably have at some point gotten around the test in some way. That's something that every drug-testing situation, it's almost become a cottage industry around the country, how do you beat a test?”

That's just a fact of life. There are drug-tests, and some who cheat on drug-tests. The cheating is often pretty savvy.

Barta and Ferentz weren't exaggerating when they said Iowa is ahead of the national curve of college athletic departments when it comes to this issue. Ferentz has been adamant about enhanced testing since he became Iowa's coach.

“If I could have done it when I was coaching at high school, I would have done it,” he said. If he were given the financial wherewithal to have his own NFL-type security organization, I'm guessing he'd do that, too.

Some questions concerning Johnson-Koulianos seemed to rankle the tired-looking coach. Like one asking how he didn't know Johnson-Koulianos was living with someone who was a drug-dealer. The roommate, Brady Johnson, has a previous drug conviction from 2009.

“We don't do background checks on roommates, girlfriends,” Ferentz said. “It's a pretty wide circle of friends that our players have. I don't know how you would track down, chase each and every one of them. And that was certainly news to me, what I read in the newspaper.”

Fair enough, but did some of Iowa's players know? More to the point, how could at least a few not have known?

“My guess is some did,” said Ferentz. “I don't know. If that's the case, it's unfortunate nobody came forward.”

It's apples and oranges, but this isn't 2007. This isn't Cedric Everson and Abe Satterfield. There have been no Iowa players arrested on sexual abuse charges this year. Not that drug charges aren't bad enough. If there's any tiny consolation, Johnson-Koulianos was arrested for possession, not intent to deliver. Unlike Brady Johnson.

It will be quite a while before Johnson-Koulianos is known more as the Hawkeyes' all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards than a guy who idiotically did wasteful, illegal things and doused his team and school with bad publicity.

But “DJK” hasn't gone into seclusion. He had this Facebook posting late Monday night:

Hawkeyenation, I love you and can't thank you enough for your love and support. You created DJK and I will at some point, when circumstances allow, express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity this institution has given me. Godspeed & God bless.

Hmmm. ... Well, Iowa has a bowl game to play in two weeks with an almost-full complement of players. This too shall pass.