Shortly after 9 a.m. ET Saturday, several Penn State footballers began tweeting a hashtag: “#IWantToPlay.” Earlier in the day, star Clemson was quarterback Trevor Lawrence tweeted that the Tigers “want to play.” On Friday, linebacker Ohio State, Tuf Borland post a message on Twitter in support of the security protocols to put in at school and the Big Ten.
It was a remarkable collective statement from some high-profile players at Top Ten programs. And it underscored the fear of the situation in college football, as everyone turned around and waited for a resolution of when there will be a 2020 season.
The resolution will probably be a grim one. What set the Mid-American Conference in motion on Saturday by postponing the postponement of its fall season will most likely be continued by others in the coming days. As one well-placed source told Sports Illustrated Saturday, “I think at the end of the week, the fall sports will be postponed in all conferences.”
Regardless of your feelings about whether they soene playing, you can certainly empathize with the desire of the athletes to play. This is a brutal limbo of August, followed by July limbo and June limbo.
“It’s absolutely hard to know there’s no clear answer,” Penn State’s tight end Pat Freiermuth told SI. ‘We’re waiting and on edge. But until then, we want to let the NCAA, the Big Ten, and people in other conferences know that if we have the right protocols in place, we want to play. ”
This is also a post that offers a more holistic view of the college football landscape. In recent days, the voices heard from players were often those that had formed united groups to protest conditions at the Pac-12, Big Ten, Mountain West and American Athletic conferences. Or it was the dozens of players who decided to choose the season, trying to protect their personal health as a potential professional future.
Those players got a lot of headers. Towards the end of last week, another group wanted to speak up. Lawrence’s tweets on both Saturday and Sunday attracted a lot of attention as the potential no. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In a tweet on Sunday night, he appeared calling for the formation of a student-athlete union in tweeting a list of requirements along with the #WeWantToPlay hashtag.
But he was far from alone.
Freiermuth said he, quarterback Sean Clifford, and other members of the Penn State team’s Lead Council began discussions to make a statement after Saturday’s practice. At that point, the MAC had taken action and the Big Ten had paused its progress to practice in full pads. It seemed like a no-if-never moment to take a collective stand.
“We wanted to come up with a positive statement,” Freiermuth said. ‘We feel comfortable playing. We feel safe at Penn State, safe in the (football) building and safe to practice. ”
Freiermuth notes that his parents, Dianne and John, are the presidents of the parents’ association of the football program. They have been involved in multiple meetings to ensure that protocols are established and maintained.
The team did not either. The board of directors set standards once players arrived for summer activities: no bars, no parties, no hosting of parties. If you feel sick, stay away from workouts and consult your medical staff. Stay home if possible. “We worked hard not to get in each other’s way.”
Finally, Freiermuth said, around 20-25 Nittany Lions posted on social media Saturday night and Sunday. His personal statement: “Since returning to campus one day, Penn State Football staff and medical professionals have put our health and safety first, above all else. The established guidelines keep us safe when playing the game we love. We are ready to play and we want to play. ”
This was not an attempt to start a shrink with players signing off, a group that includes Freirmuth’s teammate, star linebacker Micah Parsons. Or to create problems with players who have talked about a boycott. It was also not an attempt – at least at Penn State – to “push back” on the media, an ignorant idea that ran through Fox Sports broadcaster Joel Klatt.
“Obviously, players who turn down have a reason,” Freiermuth said. ‘And maybe some of those are personal. You have to respect that. Everyone on the team will support them. And if players think they need to boycott and ask for better protocols to feel safe, they should do so. ”
What about the rest of the college football team?
“Check what we can control,” Freiermuth said. “We still feel positive and we want to play. It does not even feel like COVID exists when we are on the practice field. ”
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