Despite Northwestern firing Pat Fitzgerald for reportedly fostering a culture of hazing and racism within the football program, a person once close to the team is under the impression the now-exiled coach has better character than Deion Sanders.
Eduardo Soto, who worked as an equipment manager at Northwestern during Fitzgerald’s tenure, has been an adamant supporter of the longtime Wildcats’ head coach since he came under fire after a whistleblower alleged the program engaged in rampant hazing.
Hi Twitter, I’m Eduardo Soto and I worked at Northwestern Football for 5 years from 2016-2021. I wrote this letter to President Schill and AD Gragg this morning. pic.twitter.com/KCRRrObgov
— Eddie (@EduardoES97) July 10, 2023
In a Twitter post that detailed a letter written to the school’s president and athletic director, Soto acted as a character witness and explained that Fitzgerald’s best attributes were “trustworthiness,” “honesty,” and “righteousness.”
Before concluding the letter, Soto noted that Fitzgerald, in his opinion, was a target of disgruntled players, and it would be wrong if Northwestern reprimanded him because Fitzgerald was loyal to the university, not a mercenary like former Jackson State coach Deion Sanders.
“Those of us who know Coach Fitz and also the general landscape of college football today are well aware of the fact he is one of the few good guys left in a profession that has increasingly become filled with Deion Sanders of the world — grown men who only see these student-athletes as stepping stones for their own careers,” wrote Soto in an apparent shot at Sanders for bolting Jackson State for Colorado after three seasons.
While some disappointment was expressed over Sanders exiting JSU for Colorado last December, Coach Prime was never involved in a situation close to Fitzgerald at Northwestern despite being a purported “good guy,” as Soto proclaimed.
Sanders moving on from the storied HBCU for a Power Five job isn’t necessarily a character flaw. Enabling an environment where young men are subject to harm like Fitzgerald reportedly did, is, however.
