 Marc MorehouseHi, I'm Marc Morehouse. I've covered sports for more than 15 years, mostly in Eastern Iowa. I've had Hayden Fry [...] |
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A.J. Derby leaves Iowa
Iowa City High grad was a redshirt freshman quarterback for the Hawkeyes before a mid-season move to linebacker
Byline Caption: Iowa quarterback A.J. Derby throws the ball during the scrommage at the Hawkeye's Spring Practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, April 16, 2011. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)
A.J. Derby has asked for a release from his scholarship and will transfer from the University of Iowa, the school announced Monday.
Derby was a redshirt freshman quarterback for the Hawkeyes last season before coach Kirk Ferentz asked the 6-foot-4, 232-pounder to move to linebacker after injuries took bite out of the depth chart.
Derby’s father, John, played linebacker for the Hawkeyes from 1988-92. Zack Derby, A.J.’s brother, will be a senior tight end for the Hawkeyes next fall.
“A.J. has asked for his release, which has been granted,” Ferentz said in a release. “We are sorry to see A.J. leave the program. He has been a positive member of our team and a pleasure to coach over the past two years. We wish him the best as he moves forward with his career.”
That paragraph has been used three times since the Hawkeyes’ Insight Bowl loss to Oklahoma on Dec. 30.
After being suspended for the Insight Bowl, running back Marcus Coker announced last week that he withdrew from the UI and asked for a release from scholarship. Running back Mika’il McCall, also under suspension, announced his transfer to Southern Illinois via his Facebook page.
Derby, who completed 3 of 6 passes for 30 yards and recorded one special teams tackle, seemed at peace with his move to linebacker, which came Oct. 22 against Indiana. This also came after Derby was charged with public intoxication and fourth-degree criminal mischief after an early October incident in which he punched out a bus window. He was suspended for two games.
“I’m not going to look back now, I’m going to look forward,” Derby said describing a phone call from Ferentz that asked him to make the switch. “I’m very excited about this opportunity.”
Derby won the No. 2 quarterback spot coming out of fall camp. Derby led Iowa City High to the Class 4A state football title as a senior in 2009. He rushed for 15 TDs and threw for another 23.
“I would like to thank the University of Iowa and football coaches for the opportunity,” Derby said in the UI statement. “Unfortunately, I don’t feel this is the best fit for me personally to reach my goals as a student-athlete. I especially wish my brother (Zach) the best of luck in the coming year. I will miss all of my teammates, family and friends who have supported me here. Good luck to everybody. Once a hawk, always a hawk.”
If Derby transfers to an FBS school, he’ll be a junior after sitting out next season. If he goes to an FCS school, Derby would be a sophomore and eligible to compete next season.
Derby received 14 scholarship offers before picking the Hawkeyes, including Wisconsin, Alabama, Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.) and Florida.
_________________
This is an interview with The Gazette’s Scott Dochterman after the Indiana game (all AJD quotes):
DERBY
Tuesday morning
I hadn’t thought about it at all until Tuesday. I talked to Coach Ferentz about it and went with it.
I’m excited. It’s a good opportunity. It will be a lot of fun to run around and make some tackles. He was excited about it. He said he’s going to have to critique me once I start playing.
I worked on the technique with Coach Wilson this week and it worked out. Decided to cross face and get down there.
No, I never really thought about it. I was more focused in coming in at quarterback but they made the change and I’m excited about it now.
I’m not going to think back to the past and just think forward.
As far as I know it’s linebacker. We’ll see how it goes.
He gave me some time to think about it for the rest of the day before practice. He said I could take as much time as I wanted. I just wanted to make the decision quick to get it done with and get to linebacker, get going.
I talked to my family about it. My brother and just went with that.
It was good to get some contact out there, make a tackle. I haven’t had any since I’ve gotten here so it’s kind of fun.
As far as I know.
I went and talked to Coach about it and it was the first time he mentioned linebacker. He thought that was best for the team.
Yeah, it was (surprising). I’m not going to look back now, I’m going to look forward. I’m very excited about this opportunity.
It was Tuesday morning.
He called me in. I didn’t really know what it was for. It just kind of went from there.
He asked me what I thought about it and he wanted me to give him an answer by the end of the day.
I don’t really think it matters any more. I’m not going to look in the past and I’m just going to look forward.
I have no idea. It’s up the coaches and whatever happens, happens.
I was pretty excited when I got out there and I wanted to make the most out of my first linebacker special team play. Nielsen’s position
It wasn’t bad. I don’t know. I think I’m a smart kid so I kind of picked up on it pretty quickly.
I’ve always tried to be in the best condition I can to be a quarterback because I always have that capability of running so I always wanted to never get tired if I did have to run so I feel like I’m in pretty god condition as it is.
They were supportive. He’s excited. He told me he was going to start critiquing me.
I like 17.
Not yet. I’m looking forward to it.
This is the first week.
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Enough is enough!
Why must this program spend so much time in damage control mode?
Someone please tell me what exactly is taking place within the Iowa program that has created this chronic condition?
The last time I checked, coach Ferentz was a state employee which mandates a degree of transparency. Iowan’s tax dollars pay his large salary and as such it is time for him to stand up and communicate the condition of his program to the citizens of Iowa.
Enough is enough coach!
There’s less transparency than you think.
Believe me.
Looks dimmer and dimmer by the day. Just get somebody on the record!
Omertà,the law in IC! B^)
Football fans and donors pay his salary….yes, they’re taxpayers, but probably not in the context you were using the term.
‘Iowan’s tax dollars” do not pay Kirk Ferentz’s salary! The Iowa Athletic Department is NOT funded by tax dollars, it is funded by ticket sales!
Marc-
Can you clear this up for me? I was under the impression that the Board of Regents approved salaries for state university’s faculty? Where do the dollars that pay coach’s salary come from?
The UI athletics department is self-funded. No tax money goes to UI sports.
The board of regents has no say on what Ferentz or any coach is paid.
Thank you. I stand corrected.
No problem.
It should be up to the player to make it known why they are leaving not the coach and/or school. If they want it to be known then they’ll let you know otherwise it’s not your business why. I’m just as tired of players leaving, but it’s a personal decision of their own.
Marc, I’ve never met a reporter that didn’t think that everyone should have to tell him everything. The idea is a bit ridiculous. Sometimes, you aren’t entitled to know. Derby has his reasons, which might just include not playing as much as he thinks. Big news there. He can leave. I wish him well. Hope he finds what he’s looking for, but I doubt he will.
I have no argument with that, Jim.
I don’t demand people to tell me anything. I try to find it for myself.
And yes, hope he finds what he’s looking for.
Marc;
Could you provide an update on the other 4 players that gave up football this fall because of lifetime injuries. I believe it is 3 players on the defensive side and 1 on the offensive side.
Many fans don’t realize all college/high school players that leave the game for medical reasons and not because of legal trouble/playing time/or any other non injury reason.
I don’t know what you’re talking about here, Tom.
I think the follow players left the program this fall;
*Defensive linemen Anthony Ferguson
*Defensive lineman Donavan Johnson
*Linebacker Austin Gray
*Tight end Austin Vier
I very well maybe wrong but believe I read this during the fall.
Ferguson quit.
Johnson had academics.
Gray quit.
Vier retired from the game with chronic back issues.
Sorry, I went blank on reasons for a sec.
Thanks for the update.
“Up to the player?” Of course.
However the situation at Iowa isn’t simply due to a string of “personal decisions.” This is a trend that has become a chronic problem within this program.
I am not concerned with knowing a players personal information or family matters, that is private. However there is something much larger that is intrinsically wrong with this program at large. There is no denying that. Is it micro management due to past player infractions? Is it a lack of management that continues to get more players in trouble? Both?
So given the larger situation, yes, I do feel it is my right as an Iowan, an alumni, a season ticket holder and a KS supporter to in fact know.
What is so hard to grasp? Coker and McCall messed up and got kicked off the team. It is possible that other coaches may look the other way when their players screw up, but KF didn’t. Do you think that holding people responsible for their actions is a sign of a chronic problem? Isn’t a bigger problem a coach and program that tolerates trouble makers? As for Derby, it is likely he wants to be a QB and realized that he wasn’t going to be the #1 here. I, for one, am glad the coaches are not more interested in meeting your need to know everything than protecting their (ex)player by publicly admitting he likely isn’t good enough to be the #1 QB here.
Kelly, there’s been a LOT more players that have left the past 3 years were never in a lick of trouble. I’m all for kids making their own decisions, but it’s troubling when so many have left fairly recently after KF and crew carefully vetted/screened/recruited them, some for several years. You’re generalizing WAY too much by insinuating that the players leaving here all seem to be doing so because they’re troublemakers.
While some guys do leave because of trouble (Robinson, Coker, McCall), I don’t see some attrition in a program like this as unnatural or the sign of a chronic problem. It is a highly competitive environment and guys only have a limited amount of time to play. If they see that they are not going to be able to play the position they want or as much as they want, they should go elsewhere. And then of course, some people just don’t find the right fit. I imagine part of the reason Derby is leaving is because of how much attention he gets. He might want to get away from his hometown and be under the radar a bit.
The thought that tax dollars pays KF’s salary is a common misconception.
And I have to be honest with everyone…these matter-of-fact, obtuse comments from others on this blog are really annoying. Should Hawk Nation really sit back and just say, “well, it is A.J.’s decision, we shouldn’t feel as if we have a right to know more…” I say absolutely not!
A.J. just isn’t “just another player” to leave the program. Here is a local kid, comes from a Hawkeye legacy family, chooses Iowa over THE TOP programs in the country and who’s brother is also on the team! I would expect Hawk Nation to be outraged. I would expect Marc, Mike and Scott to be upset they are not allowed to know more. This is a big deal folks. I hasten to think who will announce they are leaving next week?
“A.J. just isn’t “just another player” to leave the program. ”
Not sure what you can’t quite come to grasps with why he’s leaving. Look up Eric Crouch and you’ll have your answer. It really isn’t that hard to figure out. Here’s a hint, he’s not like Marvin McNutt.
How big of a problem is turnover in other large football programs? I suspect it’s an issue that exist elsewhere, but possibly for slightly different reasons?
Turnover. On one hand, maybe it’s good — you don’t want players that aren’t all-in. On the other hand it’s an inefficient resource drain, particularly for a self-described developmental program.
Well-put R. J.
Recruiting misses at Iowa hurt a heck of a lot more than they do at Ohio State.
If I was a “dual-threat ” quarterback there would be no way that I would even consider Iowa. Derby should have known that he would never be the QB here. When Brad Banks was here I doubt that the coaching staff had any plays designed to take advantage of his skills. Seems like every big play he made was an ad-lib.
As far as other schools having drop-out problems, according to Pat Hardy, Wisconsin hasn’t lost a third of the players Iowa has since 2007.
Iowa ran the option, on occasion, with Brad Banks. Iowa also called draw plays with Banks. They tried to run the option once or twice with Nathan Chandler.
Wow, some people think they have the right to know everything about student athletes-It’s not our lives it’s theirs. They aren’t paid, they are amateurs and owe us nothing. Three players are leaving, each for reasons of their own. Good luck to all, no hard feeling (unless they transfer to a rival) let’s write stories about players who are going to be here next year. There are a lot of players on the Iowa team three unhappy players leaving is not that big a deal.
lonhawk:
That’s SIX players that have left since August – and over a dozen now the last 2 1/2 years. While I’m not demanding answers from Derby, I’m not aloof enough to simply dismiss all the attrition with “oh well, it’s not that big a deal”.
Didn’t you watch any game last year, especially on the defensive side? THAT’S a big deal when you’ve lost 8 defensive players – all slated to be starters/contributors in 11-12-13 – and Iowa can’t absorb it like other programs.
Maybe Marc can shed some light on this, but I think part of the reason we don’t here more than we do about these types of incidents has to do with FERPA laws:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Educational_Rights_and_Privacy_Act
Lori:
While FERPA has many attributes, it’s also one of the most overused “reasons” that universities don’t comment on issues like this.
FERPA is a federal student privacy law Mike, and while it may be broadly applied in some cases, it’s still a valid reason to avoid releasing information regarding students and student/athletes.
The excuse that tax dollars are used to fund public universities, therefore taxpayers should be allowed to know anything and everything that goes on with students in said universities is also overused.
Lori:
On an individual basis that’s mostly true. However, this is bigger than 1-2 students – and the size of this group seems to be growing every couple of weeks. There are ABSOLUTELY generalizations that could be made about the growing group of departing students without “naming names”. Some we would know anyway (those in trouble = Coker and McCall), but overall we’d have a reason given WHY so many have left the past 3 years. To sit here and simply say “it’s private” is the easy way out.
Of course, things are pretty easy right now for the school’s athletic department because of its terrific fan base. Would they prefer its fan base to be less interested in this particular facet of the football program, therefore buying less merchandise, tickets, attending less I-club dinners, etc.? Because if UI doesn’t come up with a more reasonable approach, that’s exactly what’s going to happen: even more fans will grow tired of 6-8 win seasons, player attrition without reason, etc. and simply get mad and quit supporting the school financially – or worse, develop an apathy in which fans won’t come back even if things change. That’s not a threat but simply a prediction.
I believe FERPA’s interpretations can be stretched, but I don’t believe that is the case here.
In the offseason, I’m going to study it. If there is an offseason.
Marc, thanks for looking into it. I worked in my university offices in financial aid, so I’m well aware of FERPA. However, releasing a few “anonymous” reasons for the various departures isn’t impossible – scholarship students usually have to have an exit interview in order to be released from their commitment – and the university’s to them. So yes, UI DOES know why – it’s just a matter of releasing some of the reasoning without attaching names. Sadly, it’s a large enough group that’s left if you take into account the past 3 years to keep it quite “anonymous”.
And the talent hemorrhage continues. Apologize and moralize all you want, there is something very wrong here. What is the ultimate goal? To have a Big Ten team comprised solely of walk-on, no-star players?
That would not be pretty, Paul.
Everybody loves Rudy, but he only had one sack in mop-up time.