The Arkansas Razorbacks have been through quite a bit in the past week. With the Bobby Petrino firing now behind them, players on the Razorbacks football team are still shocked by the move.
"Obviously it's been tough on everybody,'' senior quarterback Tyler Wilson told the Associated Press. "It's a unique situation. It's tough for everybody, but I think it's unique that our team has been very coherent through all of it.''
Running back Knile Davis expressed shock and admitted he was hurt in the wake of the Petrino firing and has even gone as far as to steer clear from Facebook and Twitter -- he even turned off his cell phone at one point. "We've put a lot of hard work over these last four years to get where we're at,'' Davis told the Associated Press. "Just to see it go down the drain in 24 hours is just, you know, it hurts. But we can't do anything but move forward.''
Even assistant coach Paul Petrino, Bobby Petrino's brother, seemed shocked by the news. "I had no idea. I did not know anything about it,'' Petrino told the Associated Press. "Bobby's my brother. I love him. I will always love him. He made a mistake. He's paying deeply for it." Petrino will remain on board with the current staff through spring practices, but his situation is unknown beyond that point.
Many of the Arkansas players have played their entire time with the Razorbacks under Bobby Petrino, including Wilson, who decided to return for his senior season instead of opting for the 2012 NFL Draft. Wilson met with Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long to express his desire to keep the same coaching staff in place for continuity, but the new head coach and staff remains an issue still up in the air.
For more on Hogs football, visit Arkansas blog Arkansas Expats, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.