Randy Wade and several other Ohio State parents wanted to make a statement Friday morning, so they traveled to Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois – along with parents from three other Big Ten schools – to hold a rally.
While they were not allowed to protest directly in front of the Big Ten offices – and no one working for the conference was actually available for the rally – the headquarters could be seen in the background as numerous parents directed a crowd of supporters and media on the turf for a nearby shopping mall.
Randy Wade, the father of Shaun Wade, cornerback of Ohio State and the organizer of Friday’s rally, spoke for about nine minutes. After asking for a 17-second silence to honor the 170,000 Americans who died from COVID-19, Wade called for transparency from Big Ten officials and for Commissioner Kevin Warren and the conference’s 14 athletic directors for a Zoom- to meet with parents’ associations of each school to answer questions they have about the decision to suspend bankruptcy sports and the plan of the conference for a winter / spring season. After answering some reporters’ questions, Wade started a “Let’s play!” singing among the parents attended.
Andrea Tate, the mother of Ohio State cornerback Sevyn Banks, gave one of the most passionate speeches of the morning. Tate said she believes the Big Ten should trust coaches to keep their players safe and that players should be allowed to make their own decisions about whether or not to play this fall.
Candace Wilson, the mother of Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson, also spoke with the club at hand. In her speech, Wilson praised Ryan Day and the Ohio State football program and her communication with parents about the protocols they have put in place to protect their players during the pandemic.
The parents of Tuf Borland and the parents of Luke Farrell also both made the trip to Rosemont for Friday’s rally, and Alve Warriors caught up with Tuf’s father Kyle Borland and Luke’s father Matt Farrell to get their thoughts on what they want to hear from the Big Ten and how this will affect their sons, who are both seniors and potential 2021 NFL draft prospects.
Parents of two Iowa football players, one Wisconsin football player and one Illinois football player, also spoke during Friday’s rally, which was attended by about 30 half-grandparents of the Big Ten athletes.
