Cooper DeJean reportedly suffered lower-leg injury, out for significant time
Cooper DeJean’s a star both at cornerback and on special teams, and Iowa will now likely be without him down the final stretch of the season. DeJean reportedly suffered a lower-leg injury, according to The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman.
DeJean apparently suffered the injury during practice on Wednesday. He’s expected to miss significant time, likely sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season.
The injury is reportedly a broken or fractured fibula, according to Dochterman, but Iowa officials wouldn’t confirm or deny that aspect.
Iowa hosts Illinois and then plays at Nebraska to end the regular season before likely appearing in the Big Ten championship game as Big Ten West winners.
DeJean, who has played in all 10 games for Iowa to date, has been a lockdown defender for the Hawkeyes at corner, defending five passes and intercepting two. He’s also got a pair of tackles for loss. He’s yet to allow a touchdown in coverage.
And on special teams, DeJean is as dangerous a returner as there is, with one punt return touchdown this year — he had one infamously called back after a questionable review in October.
DeJean is also a finalist or semifinalist for a bevy of awards: The Nagurski, Lott, Thorpe and Bednarik Awards all have him among their various shortlists.
Ferentz recently excoriated the NCAA for some gambling-related suspensions
Last week, the NCAA announced its long-awaited decision on reinstatement for athletes suspended for gambling. Under the new guidelines, athletes who wager on teams at their school will be reinstated after one season of ineligibility and a loss of a year of eligibility.
For Iowa star Noah Shannon, that means his career is over — and Ferentz didn’t hold back with his thoughts in a statement on the decision.
“I am heartbroken for Noah and his family that the NCAA has come to this conclusion,” Ferentz said, via ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “Noah did not break any laws. he did not commit any crimes. And yet he is being severely over-punished by a membership committee that refuses to see perspective or use common sense. I have said many times that I think it is peculiar that the state of Iowa is uniquely the focus of this investigation. Noah is being sidelined because the NCAA is ruling on an investigation that they did not instigate, using an uneven system of justice to severely punish an excellent young man. It is just wrong.”
A sixth-year senior, Shannon was a starter for Iowa the last two seasons. Last year, he had 44 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks as he cemented himself as a key part of the defense. However, he found himself in the middle of a gambling investigation into the program, which resulted in the suspension.
Shannon got caught up in the investigation over the summer and backed out of Big Ten Media Days as a result. He tried to appeal the suspension, but it was denied by the NCAA. Now, with last Wednesday’s announcement, his college career has come to an end.