The horrifying shitshow of above-the-neck trauma continues unabated for the Iowa Hawkeyes, as Ken Iwebema will likely miss more than just the second half of the Purdue game:

Ferentz said Iwebema did not pass initial recovery tests Tuesday.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed that tomorrow morning he'll be able to do the bike test and lift," Ferentz said. "If he can do that, then he'll practice without contact on Wednesday. That's the best-case scenario. We're hoping to get him back."

Holy buttfucking virgin Mary that's not good. It's standard protocol to admit that injuries are part of the game and yeah yeah yeah, but think about what's been happening to the team this year in head injuries alone: Three starting defenders and a key reserve on the offensive line that you know we could use right now. A rundown and more are after the break.

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We mentioned last week that Alex Kanellis would be hanging up the cleats for the year. As it turns out, the concussions are forcing Alex off the field for good.

Eric Page over at the QC Times' Hawkmania.com (the site that should have replaced HawkCentral in your bookmarks long ago) has a writeup about Kanellis, and it's predictably depressing.

"You have to be smart," Ferentz said. "Everybody’s career is going to end at some point. We all have a picture of when it’s going to end, and when it doesn’t end that way, it’s tough. It’s just not worth taking any unnecessary chances."

And to be sure, by "unnecessary chances," Ferentz is referring to the vastly increased likelihood that Kanellis's brain would leak out of his ears the next time he concussed himself.

It's always a shame to see a young player's opportunity cut short for medical reasons, and this scenario is no exception. The good news is that Kanellis will probably stick around the program and help the S&C program, much the same way fellow medical casualties Vernon Jackson and Alex Wilcox are doing so.