If you missed it late last night, a report emerged that defensive back Willie Lowe, one of 13 players hospitalized earlier this year with rhabdo, had asked for a release from his Iowa scholarship. The underlying reason for the request to transfer appeared to be the fact that, despite being medically cleared, he is still suffering from effects of the illness that prompted a two-month investigation.
Shortly after last night’s report, IU athletic director Gary Barta released a statement addressing the Lowe “situation”.“I can confirm that William Lowe has requested permission to talk with other schools. While we’ve honored that request, our interest is for him to remain a Hawkeye. However, we’ll support whatever decision he makes.
“As was stated previously, our medical staff cleared all 13 student-athletes involved in the Rhabdomyolsis incident.”
As it turns out, and according to one member of Lowe’s family, granting the request may not have even been necessary.
Speaking to the Des Moines Register Wednesday morning, Lowe’s uncle Troy Fultz sounded supremely confident that, when it’s all said and done, his nephew will continue to be a member of the Hawkeyes football program.
“If I had to guess right now, I’d say Willie goes through the process of seeing if there are other options, and then at the end of the day, sticking with the Iowa program,” Fultz said. “That’s what Willie is thinking right now.”
Fultz also confirmed that Lowe is “still having some headaches” related to the rhabdo and that the family will “get him checked out independently.” Thanks to those aftereffects, however, Fultz doesn’t expect Lowe to play in 2011. But, when he does, Fultz reiterated his earlier claim that “he’s leaning on it being at Iowa.”
So, in other words, Lowe will be at Iowa in 2011. Or not. One of the two.