Two more former Northwestern football players came forward alleging experiences with systemic racism in NU’s football program at a news conference Friday morning. 

The pair spoke at the law offices of Salvi, Schostok and Pritchard, who said they represent more than 50 current and former NU athletes, mostly football players, and have filed seven lawsuits.

Noah Herron and Rico Lamitte, formerly Rico Tarver, two former NU players, described racism and bias they experienced in their years on the team. Both spoke about the “Wildcat Way,” an alleged racist standard NU football coaches held for athletes.

While both players’ time at NU predates Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure as head coach, they echoed allegations shared by former players this summer of racist actions and remarks from both coaches and players.

“Northwestern demanded that me and fellow teammates of color conform to this Wildcat Way, meaning a white appearance,” Herron said. “As a young Black man, I was proud of my braided hair. Many of my fellow Black teammates are proud of their race and culture and express themselves through their hair … Me and fellow Black teammates were told that we had to either cut or restyle our hair to resemble this Wildcat Way.”

Herron alleged that he and other Black players were threatened with reduction in playing time, surrender of scholarships and the ability to transfer.

He said coaches punished two of his Black teammates in such a severe manner that players refer to it as the “Christmas massacre.” Herron alleges the head coach instructed position coaches to inflict the punishment so the two Black players would not be able to walk off the field afterward.

“The physical punishment was so severe, that one of my brothers, a grown man, defecated himself and had to be carried off the field,” Herron said. “(There is) a culture of threats, abuse, coercion and forced compliance — compliance into the Wildcat Way.”

Lamitte followed Herron’s remarks, and said although he still “bleeds purple,” he feels a responsibility to speak out as a Black man, a Black husband, a Black father and a former Black athlete.

“At Northwestern, I was never seen as a Black man first, an athlete second” Lamitte said. “That was made apparent when a Black man, a teammate, and a brother, Rashidi Wheeler, died a few feet away from me during a conditioning drill. The way the whole incident was mishandled, and the team was never given closure or space to properly heal — that set the tone for what I would experience over the next four-and-a-half-years.” 

Wheeler died in 2001 after collapsing during a conditioning drill. His cause of death was exercise-induced-asthma, according to autopsy reports, after participating in an NCAA-banned conditioning drill. Wheeler’s family sued NU, ultimately settling for $16 million in 2005. 

Lamitte alleged he was threatened and forced to conform to the “Wildcat Way,” saying the culture had no room or tolerance for him as a Black man. He said he was threatened, hazed, teased, humiliated and abused while resisting conforming to the “Wildcat Way.”

Lamitte echoed sentiments shared by Herron and alleged by an anonymous player in July, saying he was forced to cut his hair to conform with the team’s white culture.

“Coaches, trainers and staff told us that we needed to change the way we dressed, acted and styled our hair,” he said. “As a freshman, I was told I’d never see any playing time unless I cut my hair. And if I did not cut it myself, the coaches would instruct upperclassmen to hold me down and shave it.”

Lamitte said he ended up cutting his hair to avoid humiliation and embarrassment but alleges white teammates were allowed to grow their hair long and have it hanging out of their helmets. 

Attorney Patrick Salvi Jr. closed the conference by offering his support for current and former NU athletes. He added that his team is seeking cultural change and restitution but said there is not much to share about lawsuits’ progression quite yet.

“We applaud the bravery of Noah, Rico and everybody else standing behind us for coming forward, and we are hopefully offering support for anybody who has those concerns, and also want to come forward and ensure that we can affect change,” Salvi said. 

Northwestern said in a statement Friday they intend to investigate any and all specific hazing allegations.

“Hazing has no place at Northwestern,” a NU spokesperson said Friday. “Any claims of racially motivated hazing are not only disturbing but completely antithetical to our educational and athletics mission.”

Alex Cervantes contributed reporting.

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Twitter: @avanidkalra

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— Investigation finds evidence of hazing in football program, Pat Fitzgerald suspended

Note: This story has been updated to include comment from Northwestern University.