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Aug. 8, 2010

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By RICHIE ZAWISTOWSKI

IOWA CITY, Iowa — With a season of high expectations for University of Iowa football in 2010, hundreds of media members attended UI’s annual football media day on Friday.

UI head coach Kirk Ferentz addressed the media at a press conference and after breaking from Kinnick Stadium, the media hoard headed to the practice field to ask its questions to both players and coaches.

Hawkeye fans love hearing from their favorite players and coaches, so media day is a chance for fans to hear directly from their favorite team. While the fans may love it, there’s no way the players can enjoy fielding question after question right?

Not so fast.

“It’s something that we look forward to,” said junior wide receiver Marvin McNutt. “It’s kind of fun to get this air back into the system. A lot of times people don’t see a lot of the things we do, so this is a day where we just kind of pose for cameras and stuff so it’s definitely a different type of environment.”

McNutt was a starter during Iowa’s 2009 campaign, including a touchdown in the FedEx Orange Bowl as he leaped into the air to snag the ball over a defender in the back of the end zone. McNutt is used to being in the spotlight.

For a player who has not yet played under the bright lights of a BCS game or been on a college football roster for long, the swarm of media is a first-time experience.

“This is kind of a mob,” said true freshman James Morris, a new Hawkeye from Solon, Iowa.

Ferentz knew the Morris family before James was being recruited, so James has been around Iowa football before. However, Morris has never been part of a team with as much attention as the No. 10 Hawkeyes.

“The most I think I’ve ever had to talk to was like two or three,” continued

“It’s fun, I don’t mind it. It helps with people you don’t know to build relationships. You meet new people and answer any questions they might have since this is one or two times per year that they do a big media day.”
UI senior linebacker
Jeremiha Hunter

Morris. “That was after the state title game my senior year. I can say it’s overwhelming — this is the most media I’ve seen in one spot.”

Some players that are used to the coverage that comes with being a Hawkeye like the fact that they get to interact with a built relationships with the people that will be covering them all season.

“It’s fun, I don’t mind it,” said senior linebacker Jeremiha Hunter. “It helps with people you don’t know to build relationships. You meet new people and answer any questions they might have since this is one or two times per year that they do a big media day.”

For some players, media day is one of the few times during the year that the players will talk to media members for the season and convey their thoughts to their fans.

“As players, depending upon who you are, people want to talk to you when they haven’t had a chance to talk to you all year,” said senior wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. “Some guys are always being interviewed and guys look forward to it. We get to interact with the media, and you guys do a phenomenal job of covering us and really broadcasting us, so we look forward to it and we appreciate it.”

With camp underway, media day is a chance for the players to take a quick breather from practice and know the season is upon them.

“I think media day really does a good job of waking people up that the season is here, continued Johnson-Koulianos. “You always hear about the stories — and there will be so many players emerge this year. Media day kind of wakes everybody up and gets everybody in gear for the season and we look forward to it.”

Junior defensive end Broderick Binns said that media day is good and that it gives the fans to see “how we are and how we act” and added that it’s “good for everybody.”

While Hawkeye fans enjoy hearing from their favorite team, it must be great to know that the team likes to give back to the fans, and enjoys letting the fans closer to the team.